An inhabitant is a person or animal that lives in a particular place. The inhabitants of New York City include millions of people, countless pigeons, rats in the subways, and even peregrine falcons nesting on skyscrapers. The inhabitants of the Sahara Desert include Bedouin people, camels, fennec foxes, and scorpions.

The word emphasizes actually living somewhere, not just visiting. Tourists aren't inhabitants of Paris, but the French families who have apartments there are. You're an inhabitant of your town, your house, and even your country.

Scientists use this word frequently when studying ecosystems. Marine biologists might study the inhabitants of a coral reef, which could include hundreds of species of fish, sea turtles, octopuses, and tiny creatures living in the coral itself. Archaeologists dig up artifacts to learn about the inhabitants of ancient cities.

When you read about “the original inhabitants” of a place, that means the first people or creatures who lived there. Inhabit is the verb form: penguins inhabit Antarctica, and your family inhabits your home.