inhabitable
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪnˈhæbɪtəbəl/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈhæbɪɾəbəl/
- Hyphenation: in‧hab‧it‧a‧ble
Etymology 1
inhabit + -able.
Adjective
inhabitable (comparative more inhabitable, superlative most inhabitable)
- Fit to live in; habitable.
- a. 1704, John Locke, “Elements of Natural Philosophy”, in A Collection of Several Pieces of Mr. John Locke, London: J. Bettenham for R. Francklin, published 1710, page 190–191:
- It is more ſuitable to the wiſdom, power and greatneſs of God, to think that the fixt Stars are all of them Suns, with Syſtems of inhabitable Planets moving about them, to whoſe Inhabitants he diſplays the marks of his Goodneſs as well as to us […]
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Usage notes
While the usage is obsolete, inhabitable can also be an antonym of habitable and have the opposite meaning to that intended. Where such confusion might arise, one may prefer to use habitable or another synonym. Compare inflammable.
Antonyms
- uninhabitable
- unhabitable
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Middle French inhabitable, from Latin inhabitabilis (“uninhabitable”).
Adjective
inhabitable (comparative more inhabitable, superlative most inhabitable)
- (obsolete) Not habitable; not suitable to be inhabited.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i], lines 62–66:
- […] Which to maintaine, I would allow him oddes, / And meete him, were I tide to runne afoote, / Euen to the frozen ridges of the Alpes, / Or any other ground inhabitable, / Where euer Engliſhman durſt ſet his foote.
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Usage notes
Inhabitable can also be an antonym of uninhabitable and have the opposite meaning to that intended. Where such confusion might arise, one may prefer to use uninhabitable or another synonym. Compare uninteresting. Fortunately, this opposite meaning is obsolete and the sense of "suitable for life" is far more prevalent today.
French
Etymology
From Middle French inhabitable, from Latin inhabitabilis (“uninhabitable”), as if in- + habitable.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /i.na.bi.tabl/
- Rhymes: -abl
- Homophone: inhabitables
Adjective
inhabitable (plural inhabitables)
- uninhabitable
Further reading
- “inhabitable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /inabiˈtable/ [i.na.β̞iˈt̪a.β̞le]
- Rhymes: -able
- Syllabification: in‧ha‧bi‧ta‧ble
Adjective
inhabitable (plural inhabitables)
- uninhabitable
- Antonym: habitable
Further reading
- “inhabitable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014