habitable

habitable — adjective

1. offering the minimum requirements of safety, warmth, and cleanliness so that peo

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

offering the minimum requirements of safety, warmth, and cleanliness so that people can occupy and use a space as a home.

Example

After the earthquake, inspectors declared that only three old apartment buildings were still habitable.

declared + habitable (formal, official context)

The dark, damp basement was not habitable for a family, the landlord said.

not habitable + for + group

Common collocations
  • barely habitable
  • still habitable
  • habitable space
  • habitable condition
  • habitable planet
  • declared habitable
  • remain habitable
  • make habitable
Synonyms
  • livable

    more informal and broader in meaning, often including comfort and quality of life beyond basic safety

  • inhabitable

    means the same as habitable but is less common; often confused with 'uninhabitable'

  • fit for habitation

    more formal and legalistic, used in official documents and housing regulations

Antonyms
  • uninhabitable

    the standard opposite; describes a place that cannot be lived in safely

  • unlivable

    informal opposite, suggesting a place is too uncomfortable or dangerous to live in

Grammar Patterns

habitable + noun

habitable + for + noun phrase

make + noun + habitable

become / remain + habitable

Usage Note

Often used in formal or technical contexts such as housing inspections, architecture, and environmental science. The direct opposite is uninhabitable.

Common Mistakes

The house was so damaged it was inhabitable.
The house was so damaged it was uninhabitable.
'inhabitable' actually means the same as 'habitable' (fit to live in), not 'not habitable'; the correct antonym is 'uninhabitable'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Habitable and livable both mean 'suitable for living in,' but habitable is more formal and centres on basic safety and structural conditions, whereas livable often includes a sense of comfort and overall quality of life. A house can be habitable (working heating and plumbing) but not particularly livable (if it is cramped or poorly lit). Inhabitable is a false friend for many learners — it actually means the same as habitable (capable of being lived in), not 'not habitable'; the correct antonym is uninhabitable. Fit for habitation is a more formal, often legal, term used in housing regulations and official inspections. For example, an inspector might declare a building 'not fit for habitation' in a legal report, while someone might simply say a flat is 'habitable' in everyday conversation. Choose habitable for general descriptions of adequate housing, and fit for habitation in official or legal contexts.

habitable ↗livableinhabitablefit for habitation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • declared habitable
  • remain habitable
  • make something habitable
  • become habitable

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin habitare, meaning 'to live in' or 'to dwell,' which itself comes from habere ('to have, to hold'). The word passed through French into English in the late 1400s. The core idea — a place that people can occupy and call home — has stayed the same across centuries.