verb
cohabiting
koh-HAB-it-ing
Cohabiting (verb) means living together in the same home as a couple in a sexual relationship without being married. Example: “They had been cohabiting for six years before they finally married.”
verb
1
Living together in the same home as a couple in a sexual relationship without being married.
"They had been cohabiting for six years before they finally married."
"Cohabiting partners do not automatically inherit from each other."
2
Sharing the same place or existing alongside one another, said of people, animals or things.
"Two rival species of ant were cohabiting a single rotting log."
How to use cohabiting
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiving together as a couple without being married.
When to use it
Neutral to formal. Standard in legal, statistical and journalistic writing about relationships.
Memory tip
Cohabit is intransitive when talking about couples: you cohabit WITH someone, you do not cohabit someone.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
coinhabiting
inhabiting
copulating
Common pairings
cohabiting couple
cohabiting partner
cohabiting without marriage
been cohabiting since
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like cohabiting.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They had been _____ for six years before they finally married.
Etymology
From Latin cohabitare, formed from co- 'together' and habitare 'to dwell', a frequentative of habere 'to have, to hold'.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for cohabiting
See all rhymes for cohabiting →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cohabiting and living together?
They describe the same situation, but cohabiting is the formal term used in law, census forms and research, while living together is the everyday phrase. Cohabiting also carries the specific implication of a romantic or sexual relationship, which 'living together' does not always.
Do cohabiting couples have the same rights as married ones?
In most jurisdictions, no. Cohabiting partners typically lack the automatic inheritance, tax and property rights that marriage confers, which is why the phrase 'common-law marriage' is misleading in many countries.
Can cohabiting be used about people who are not a couple?
Yes, but it is less common and usually sounds slightly technical or humorous, as in describing two species cohabiting a habitat or flatmates cohabiting an untidy kitchen.
What is the meaning of cohabiting?
"cohabiting" (verb) means living together in the same home as a couple in a sexual relationship without being married.
