cohort

noun

co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯrt How to pronounce cohort (audio)
1
: companion, colleague
a few of their … cohorts decided to form a companyBurt Hochberg
2
a
: band, group
a cohort of supporters
b
: a group of individuals having a statistical factor (such as age or class membership) in common in a demographic study
a cohort of premedical students
the cohort of people born in the 1980s
c
: one of 10 divisions of an ancient Roman legion
d
: a group of warriors or soldiers

Did you know?

In ancient times, a cohort was a military unit, one of ten divisions in a Roman legion. The term passed into English in the 15th century, when it was used in translations and writings about Roman history. Once cohort became established in our language, its meaning was extended, first to refer to any body of troops, then to any group of individuals with something in common, and later to a single companion. Some usage commentators have objected to this last sense because it can be hard to tell whether the plural refers to different individuals or different groups. The "companion" sense is well established in standard use, however, and its meaning is clear enough in such sentences as "her cohorts came along with her to the game."

Examples of cohort in a Sentence

The police arrested the gang's leader and his cohorts. Depression was a common problem for people in that age cohort.
Recent Examples on the Web The Points North Fellowship brings the cohort to Camden for a week of programming before the festival and culminates in a pitch session, a public event and cornerstone of the CIFF experience that consistently packs the Camden Opera House’s nearly 500 seats. Emma Glassman-Hughes, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 A number of his cohort, who have since retired, including Bob and Mike Bryan and Sam Querrey, were in attendance. Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023 The Golden Bachelor format will be similar to that of flagship shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, except that Turner will be dating from a group of eligible women in his age cohort. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Aug. 2023 Meanwhile, a long-standing rivalry with another school puts the boys in danger, and PJ and Josie and their fighting cohorts conceive a desperate plan to save the day. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2023 Nearly half the cohort are first-generation college students and over a quarter are student athletes. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2023 Florida gained a net 2,175 people in this cohort; Texas gained a net 1,909. Jane Thier, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023 Hylton said schools usually identify cohorts of 100 students, which works out to about 20 home visits a day. Sabrina Leboeuf, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2023 With a cohort of workers increasingly burdened by student debt, help paying it down is likely to have wide appeal, Cruzvergara said. Jo Constantz, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cohort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin cohort-, cohors — more at court

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2c

Time Traveler
The first known use of cohort was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near cohort

Cite this Entry

“Cohort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohort. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

cohort

noun
co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯrt How to pronounce cohort (audio)
1
a
: one of 10 divisions of an ancient Roman legion
b
: a group of warriors or followers
2

Medical Definition

cohort

noun
co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯ(ə)rt How to pronounce cohort (audio)
: a group of individuals having a statistical factor (as age or risk) in common
the population consisted of two cohorts: 204 clearly exposed and 163 not exposedR. R. Suskind et al.

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