habitation

noun

hab·​i·​ta·​tion ˌha-bə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce habitation (audio)
Synonyms of habitationnext
1
: the act of inhabiting : occupancy
not fit for human habitation
2
: a dwelling place
3
: settlement, colony

Synonyms of habitation

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Examples of habitation in a Sentence

The house was not fit for human habitation. a wilderness area with few habitations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Learn About Local Cultures Route 89 passes through several areas that have a rich history of human habitation dating back millennia. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026 Vehicles cannot be rented or leased for human habitation on public streets. — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026 He is credited as the first and most significant contributor to South Florida archaeology of the time, classifying materials, recording 49 sites across Miami-Dade and making the first outline of a chronology of indigenous habitation. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Combined with Cape Ann’s northeasterly location along the East Coast jutting out into the Atlantic, the lighthouse would have been one of the first signs of human habitation people making the trip from Western Europe to America would have seen. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for habitation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English habitacioun, from Anglo-French habitaciun, from Latin habitation-, habitatio, from habitare to inhabit, frequentative of habēre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of habitation was in the 14th century

Rhymes for habitation

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Browse Nearby Words

habitat group
habitation
habit clinic
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Cite this Entry

“Habitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/habitation. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

habitation

noun
hab·​i·​ta·​tion ˌhab-ə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce habitation (audio)
1
: the act of inhabiting : occupancy
2
: a dwelling place : residence

Legal Definition

habitation

noun
hab·​i·​ta·​tion ˌha-bə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce habitation (audio)
1
a
: the act of occupying or inhabiting
b
in the civil law of Louisiana : the right of a person to dwell in the house of another
2
: a dwelling place

More from Merriam-Webster on habitation

Nglish: Translation of habitation for Spanish Speakers

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