Inhabits

Inhabits is the third-person singular present tense of the verb inhabit. It means to live in or occupy a place as a resident. The term can refer to people, animals, or other living beings that occupy a space for a period of time. For example, "The grizzly bear inhabits the northern forests," or "The island is inhabited by several fishing communities." The past tense is inhabited, and the present participle is inhabiting.

Etymology and form: Inhabit derives from Latin inhabitare, from in- meaning in and habitare meaning to dwell. The form inhabits follows standard English verb conjugation for third-person singular present. Related nouns include inhabitant (a person or organism that lives in a place) and habitation (the act or state of inhabiting, or a place used for living).

Usage notes: Inhabits is commonly used with explicit places or environments, especially in ecological or geographical contexts, as in "This species inhabits subtropical mangroves." It is similar to but distinct from synonyms such as reside, dwell, or occupy. Reside often emphasizes formal or legal staying, dwell can have a slightly archaic or literary nuance, and occupy can imply broader use of space beyond living there.

See also: habitat, habitation, inhabitant, habitat distribution. In scientific writing, the phrase "inhabits a" is standard for describing where a species exists, while "is inhabited by" describes who or what lives in a place.