/ ˌhæbɪˈteɪʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U ] the act of living in a place :
They looked around for any signs of habitation.
The houses were unfit for human habitation (= not clean or safe enough for people to live in) .
2.
[ C ] ( formal ) a place where people live :
The road serves the scattered habitations along the coast.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via Old French from Latin habitatio(n-) , from habitare inhabit.