habitat
Americannoun
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the natural environment of an organism; the place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism.
Orchids have a tropical habitat.
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the place where a person or thing is usually found.
Paris is a major habitat of artists.
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a special environment for living in over an extended period, as an underwater research vessel.
noun
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the environment in which an animal or plant normally lives or grows
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the place in which a person, group, class, etc, is normally found
Synonym Usage
See ecosystem ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of habitat
First recorded in 1755–65; from Latin: “it inhabits,” 3rd person singular present indicative of habitāre “to inhabit, dwell, live,” frequentative of habēre “to have, hold”
Explanation
Your habitat is the environment you are accustomed to living in. Zoos usually try to mimic the habitats of the animals they keep, housing bats in a nocturnal house and monkeys in a cage with trees to climb and swing from. The origins of habitat aren't exactly what you would expect. The word goes back to the Latin habitare meaning "to live or dwell," which itself goes back to habere meaning "to have or own." It seems logical that if you own a place, it is your home. Habitat is usually used with animals and plants that live in and are adapted to a specific environment. In nature, orchids and banana plants live in a warm, humid habitat.
Vocabulary lists containing habitat
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Africa - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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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.
Suitable sites for the insect's reintroduction have yet to be chosen, but The Fens would be a suitable habitat.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Since 2002, the species' UK distribution has declined by 33%, largely due to habitat loss, according to Butterfly Conservation.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
“It looks like plover habitat was minimally impacted, which is great news,” Travaglio said, pointing to the island’s eastern point, where beaches are closed during the spring and summer to protect the birds’ nesting area.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
The whales were believed to have died in such numbers in this particular area because it is a popular foraging habitat -- and has a V-shaped trench that funnels carcasses to the seafloor.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
We live in the same habitat as the animals we eat.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
