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

• associate
• companion
• compatriot
• compeer
• comrade
• crony
• fellow
• hobnobber
• mate
• running mate

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

That’s significant because that cohort is experiencing an even lower unemployment rate than the nation overall. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

All programs have received considerable interest: Despite only taking on less than 10 people per class, Tiffany’s New York cohort received more than 500 applicants, the Rhode Island program saw 200, and TAG’s program got more than 100 applicants. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

Those who can’t attend in person can watch a livestream that will be emailed to students beforehand. UA hosts more than 50 celebrations for various schools and cohorts throughout graduation season. —The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024

The showcase provides an opportunity for the graduating cohort to premiere their short films to an audience of agency and studio representatives, as well as other artists from the creative community. —Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

So far around 200 companies have taken part in 1991’s accelerator and incubator programs across 20 cohorts. —Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

That expansion bucks a national trend of shrinking high school classes as smaller birth cohorts move up the K-12 ladder. —Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024

Last night, Drake responded to Kendrick Lamar and the rest of rap’s anti-Drizzy cohort — sort of. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2024

Today, Natchez is filled with surprises, thanks in large part to a cohort of young natives who wandered away and then returned home with new ideas. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024

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.