inhabitable
English edit
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪnˈhæbɪtəbəl/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪnˈhæbɪɾəbəl/
- Hyphenation: in‧hab‧it‧a‧ble
Etymology 1 edit
Adjective edit
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, pages 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 […]
Usage notes edit
While the usage is obsolete, inhabitable can also be an antonym of habitable and have the opposite meaning to that intended.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 edit
Translations edit
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Etymology 2 edit
From Middle French inhabitable, from Latin inhabitabilis (“uninhabitable”).
Adjective edit
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, [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.
Usage notes edit
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 Fortunately, this opposite meaning is obsolete and the sense of "suitable for life" is far more prevalent today.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 edit
Etymology edit
From Middle French inhabitable, from Latin inhabitābilis (“uninhabitable”), as if in- + habitable.
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /i.na.bi.tabl/
- Rhymes: -abl
- Homophone: inhabitables
Adjective edit
inhabitable (plural inhabitables)
Further reading edit
- “inhabitable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Spanish edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
inhabitable m or f (masculine and feminine plural inhabitables)
- uninhabitable
- Antonym: habitable
Further reading edit
- “inhabitable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014