cohabit
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to live together as if married, usually without legal or religious sanction.
-
to live together in an intimate relationship.
-
to dwell with another or share the same place, as different species of animals.
verb
Other Word Forms
- cohabitant noun
- cohabitation noun
- cohabitee noun
- cohabiter noun
- noncohabitation noun
Etymology
Origin of cohabit
1520–30; < Late Latin cohabitāre, equivalent to co- co- + habitāre to have possession, abide (frequentative of habēre to have, own)
Explanation
The verb cohabit means to live together as if you are married. If you and your significant other are thinking of cohabiting, make sure all the chores are shared equally. The definition of the verb cohabit can include two different species living together in the same environment. If you enjoy animal stories, you should read some of the ones about animals cohabiting together. Sure, lots of dogs and cats cohabit the same space as their owners, but there was a dog that became best friends with an elephant and the two cohabited in a rescue park for years.
Vocabulary lists containing cohabit
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 2
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2014 Vocabulary Video Contest (A-L)
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Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That in turn drew in wildcats, and, “Natural selection favored those wildcats that were able to cohabit with humans.”
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023
You have the right to cohabit with someone who demonstrates the willingness to bathe — for your sake, if not for his own.
From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2022
Even after years together — the play begins on their 10th anniversary — they are not only unable to marry but also even to cohabit in safety.
From New York Times • May 8, 2022
France's Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said that "we will not be able to cohabit with mercenaries".
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2022
This meant not only that we were learning, in a real way, how to cohabit as a couple but also that Barack got to know my family in a more intimate way.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
