inhabitant

American  

[in-hab-i-tuhnt] / ɪnˈhæb ɪ tənt /

noun

inhabitants plural

1. a person or animal that inhabits a place, especially as a permanent resident.

   Synonyms:

   denizen, dweller

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inhabitant British  

/ ɪnˈhæbɪtənt /

noun

1. a person or animal that is a permanent resident of a particular place or region

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inhabitancy
  noun
• preinhabitant
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inhabitants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inhabitant

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin inhabitant- (stem of inhabitāns ) dwelling in. See inhabit, -ant

Explanation

Someone who usually lives in a specific place — whether it's a mansion, a cave, or a beach house — is its inhabitant. The old man who lives in the scary house down the street is its inhabitant, and the skunk that built a nest under your porch is — unfortunately — an inhabitant of your front yard. The noun inhabitant comes from the verb inhabit, or "to live in," which in turn is rooted in the Latin word inhabitare, "to dwell in or to live in."

Related Words

• citizen
• colonist
• dweller
• inmate
• occupant
• settler