cohabit
verb
co·hab·it
(ˌ)kō-ˈha-bət 
cohabited; cohabiting; cohabits
1
: to live together as or as if a married couple
They cohabited in a small apartment.
2
a
: to live together or in company
buffaloes cohabiting with crossbred cows—
Biol. Abstracts
Biol. Abstracts
b
: to exist together
… two strains in his philosophy … cohabit in each of his major works.—Justus Buchler
Justus BuchlerSo riches seemed to provoke their own discomfort, and affluence cohabited with anxiety.—Simon Schama
Simon SchamaExamples of cohabit in a Sentence
They cohabited in a small apartment in the city.
Recent Examples on the Web
For instance, a 2017 study published in The Family Journal explored how empathy shapes relationship quality among cohabiting couples.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
But his smiling at Black people on the street felt false and condescending, rooted in a wish to be accepted into this neighborhood of elegant brownstones and a quick subway line to Manhattan, while also cohabiting with Ulla, who was essential to his self-respect.
—Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Reddit contributors felt that short breaks from constant interaction are a normal and necessary part of cohabiting, amid around 200 comments in a day online.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
The rest of the town of Seabrook had also become comfortable cohabiting with humans, zombies and werewolves after years of Zed and Addison trying to find peace.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cohabit
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Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
But his smiling at Black people on the street felt false and condescending, rooted in a wish to be accepted into this neighborhood of elegant brownstones and a quick subway line to Manhattan, while also cohabiting with Ulla, who was essential to his self-respect.
—Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Reddit contributors felt that short breaks from constant interaction are a normal and necessary part of cohabiting, amid around 200 comments in a day online.
—Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
The rest of the town of Seabrook had also become comfortable cohabiting with humans, zombies and werewolves after years of Zed and Addison trying to find peace.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cohabit
Cite this Entry
“Cohabit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohabit. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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Legal Definition
cohabit
intransitive verb
co·hab·it
kō-ˈha-bət
: to live together as a married couple or in the manner of a married couple
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