cohabitation
/,kouhæbi'teiʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The state or act of living together and having a sexual relationship, typically without being legally married. This term describes a domestic partnership where two people share a household in an intimate, conjugal manner.
Usage
- General Use: Used to describe a long-term domestic arrangement between romantic partners.
- Formal/ Legal Context: Often used in sociological, legal, and demographic discussions to categorize household structures.
- Key Point: The core meaning involves both shared residence and a sexual relationship. It is a neutral term, though it historically implied an unmarried status.
Examples
- Noun:
- The rise in cohabitation has changed traditional family patterns in many countries.
- Their cohabitation lasted for five years before they decided to get married.
- The study examines the legal rights of partners in a cohabitation.
Advanced Usage
- "Cohabitation agreement": A legal contract between unmarried partners living together, outlining the division of assets and responsibilities.
- They signed a cohabitation agreement to protect their individual finances.
Variants and Related Words
- Cohabit (verb): To live together as or as if a married couple.
- The couple chose to cohabit before marriage.
- Cohabitant (noun): A person who lives with another in such a relationship.
- The law recognized both tenants as cohabitants of the property.
Synonyms
- Domestic partnership: A more formal or legal term for a similar living arrangement.
- Shacking up (informal, sometimes derogatory): A very informal slang term for cohabitation.
Related Phrases
- Common-law marriage: In some jurisdictions, a legally recognized marriage created by cohabitation and agreement, without a ceremony. (Note: This is a related but distinct legal concept).
- Unmarried partners: A descriptive phrase for individuals in a cohabitation.
Noun
- the act of living together and having a sexual relationship (especially without being married)