Habitable

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Habitable

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

HAB-it-uh-bul  /ˈhæbɪtəb(ə)l/

Definition

Suitable or fit to live in; providing the conditions necessary for human or other life to exist.

Plain meaning

Habitable means good enough — or suitable enough — to live in. A habitable planet has the right conditions for life; a habitable building has the basic standards needed for human habitation.

Register

Neutral to formal. Habitable is used in legal, scientific, and everyday contexts. In housing law, the standard of habitability defines the minimum conditions a landlord must maintain. In astronomy, the habitable zone is a technical term. In everyday use, habitable can be used with mild irony — the flat is barely habitable — to indicate conditions that meet the legal minimum but not much more.