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 (as in “a cohort of law students” or “a cohort of people who were born in the same year”), and later to a single companion. Some writers on usage 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

Its first residency cohorts include engineers from Accenture, Bain, Capgemini, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deloitte, McKinsey, Morgan Stanley, and Novo Nordisk. — Barbara Booth, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

For men and older adults, the heart-health signal from the Nature cohort leans harder in this direction. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026

His gesture earned praise from his bohemian cohort, which included the playwright Oscar Wilde and fellow designers William Morris and Philip Webb, who appreciated the dramatic look of his new ceiling upon visiting with him. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

The new cohort joins 20 previously awarded fellows who have received close to $700,000 in unrestricted funding since 2021, when Inevitable Foundation was founded. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 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

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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.