cohabitation

C3O1H4A1B3I1T1A1T1I1O1N1
US/koʊhæbɪˈteɪʃən/

noun

An emotional and physical intimate relationship which includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.

Less commonScrabble 19

Meanings

nouncohabitation (countable and uncountable, plural cohabitations)

plural cohabitations

  1. countableuncountableAn emotional and physical intimate relationship which includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.

    According to Greene, sodomy, gross indecency, adultery, cohabitation and repeated convictions for indecent exposure are all considered sex offenses in Michigan.

    1981 August 8, Nancy Wechsler, “Michigan May Register 'Sex Offenders'”, in Gay Community News, page 3
  2. countableuncountableThe act of living together.
  3. countableuncountableA place where two or more individuals reside together.
  4. countableuncountablebiologyThe act of two species living together in the same habitat.
  5. countableuncountablegovernmentCooperation between politicians of opposing political parties; especially, in France, between a President and Prime Minister.

    She said: “I am respectful of institutions; I am not calling for institutional chaos. There will simply be a cohabitation.”

    2024 June 16, Jennifer Rankin, quoting Marine Le Pen, “Macron calling snap elections could leave France in chaos, Sarkozy warns”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
    1 more example

    Commentators agreed that Mr Chirac's unusually aggressive remarks, followed by the equally fierce response of Mr Jospin's government, signalled the beginning of the end for the tense but so far civil "cohabitation" under which the two men have ruled France since 1997.

    2001 July 18, Jon Henly, “French cohabitation hits rocky road”, in The Guardian

Origin

  1. Late Latincohabitātiō
  2. Old Frenchcohabitacion
  3. Middle Englishcohabitacioun
  4. Englishcohabitation

From Middle English cohabitacioun, from Old French cohabitacion and Late Latin cohabitātiō. By surface analysis, co- + habitation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُسَاكَنَة
  • مُسَاكَنَة (musākana)act of living together
Bulgarian съжителство
  • съжителство (săžitelstvo)act of living together
Catalan convivència, contuberni
  • convivènciaact of living together
  • contuberniact of living together
  • cohabitació(politics) cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties
Czech spolužití, soužití
  • spolužitíact of living together
  • soužitíact of living together
  • kohabitace(politics) cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties
Danish papirløst ægteskab, samliv
  • papirløst ægteskabintimate relationship
  • samlivact of living together
Finnish avoliitto, yhteisasuminen
  • avoliittointimate relationship
  • yhteisasuminenact of living together
  • yhteisasuntoplace where people cohabit
French cohabitation, cohabitation
  • cohabitationintimate relationship
  • cohabitationact of living together
German wilde Ehe, Kohabitation
  • wilde Eheintimate relationship
  • Kohabitationintimate relationship
  • Kohabitation(politics) cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties
Hindi सहवास
  • सहवास (sahvās)intimate relationship
Hungarian élettársi kapcsolat, élettársi viszony
  • élettársi kapcsolatintimate relationship
  • élettársi viszonyintimate relationship
  • együttélésact of living together
Indonesian kohabitasi, kohabitasi
  • kohabitasiintimate relationship
  • kohabitasiact of living together
  • kohabitasi(politics) cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties
Irish céileachas, lánúnas
  • céileachasintimate relationship
  • lánúnasintimate relationship
  • aontíosact of living together
  • céileachasact of living together
  • gnásact of living together
Italian concubinato
  • concubinatoact of living together
Japanese 同棲
  • 同棲act of living together
Latin cohabitātiō
  • cohabitātiōact of living together
Norwegian Bokmål samboerskap, samboerskap
  • samboerskapintimate relationship
  • samboerskapact of living together
Polish życie na kocią łapę, kohabitacja
  • życie na kocią łapęintimate relationship
  • kohabitacjaact of living together
  • kohabitacja(politics) cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties
Russian сожи́тельство, сожи́тельство
  • сожи́тельство (sožítelʹstvo)intimate relationship
  • сожи́тельство (sožítelʹstvo)act of living together
  • совме́стное прожива́ние (sovméstnoje proživánije)act of living together
Slovak súžitie, spolubytie
  • súžitieact of living together
  • spolubytieact of living together
  • spolužitieact of living together
  • kohabitáciaact of living together
Spanish cohabitación, arreglo
  • cohabitaciónact of living together
  • arregloact of living together
  • amancebamientoact of living together

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cohabitation

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

cohabitation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cohabitation

MLA

“cohabitation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cohabitation. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cohabitation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cohabitation.

Source: cohabitation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.