inhabit
Americanverb
-
(tr) to live or dwell in; occupy
-
archaic (intr) to abide or dwell
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inhabit
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin inhabitāre, equivalent to in- in- 2 + habitāre “to dwell” ( see habit 2); replacing Middle English enhabiten, from Middle French enhabiter, from Latin as above
Explanation
When you inhabit a place, you live there. When actors inhabit their roles, they seem to become the characters, no longer actors reciting their lines. It is like they live the life of the character. The verb inhabit comes from the Old French enhabiter, meaning “dwell in.” You can inhabit an actual place, like a home, a cave, or a neighborhood. You can also inhabit an imaginary world, like those who choose to inhabit cyberspace with a made-up persona, telling about experiences that are nothing like the person's real life. Actors who truly inhabit their roles sometimes struggle to return to reality after a movie or television show wraps.
Vocabulary lists containing inhabit
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To inhabit someone else’s life, she had to sound different, too.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The name "muraria," derived from the Latin word for "wall," highlights its tendency to inhabit building walls and subtly references the band's famous album The Wall.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
The annual Manx Wildlife Week aims to encourage people to connect with the island's countryside, glens, hills and sea, as well as the creatures and plants that inhabit them.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
Not to debate it, not to tolerate it, but to actually inhabit it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Some are solitary wanderers; most inhabit communal clusters, huddling together, drifting endlessly in the great cosmic dark.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
