cohort

noun

co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯrt 

1

: companion, colleague

… a few of their … cohorts decided to form a company …

—Burt 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."

Synonyms of cohort

• associate
• colleague
• peer
• fellow
• friend
• buddy
• classmate
• accomplice

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

Trip cohorts can comprise Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, international royalty (including British Monarchy members) and astronaut pioneers mingling with low-profile multi-millionaires and billionaires. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026

Future cohorts of the board will serve five-year terms and could include as few as five and as many as 10 members. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026

Fox’s efforts to cater to a digitally savvy cohort to boost the fortunes of its news operations will no doubt be watched by other mainstream TV-news outlets. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 May 2026

Tonight’s episode will feature interviews with Steven Spielberg and Colbert’s Daily Show cohort Jon Stewart, as well as a performance by David Byrne with Colbert. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

cohort

noun

co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯrt 

1

a

: one of 10 divisions of an ancient Roman legion

b

: a group of warriors or followers

2

: companion sense 1, accomplice

Medical Definition

cohort

noun

co·​hort ˈkō-ˌhȯ(ə)rt 

: 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 exposed

—R. R. Suskind et al.