cohabitation

From French cohabitation, from Latin cohabitationem.

• (US) IPA^(key): /koʊhæbɪˈteɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

cohabitation (countable and uncountable, plural cohabitations)

1. An emotional and physical intimate relationship which includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.
2. The act of living together.
3. A place where two or more individuals reside together.
4. (biology) The act of two species living together in the same habitat.
5. (politics) Cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties; especially, in France, between a President and Prime Minister.
   • 2001, Jon Henly, The Guardian, 18 Jul 2001:

     Commentators agreed that Mr Chirac's unusually aggressive remarks, followed by the equally fierce response of Mr Jospin's government, signalled the beginning of the end for the tense but so far civil "cohabitation" under which the two men have ruled France since 1997.

• marriage, civil union

• cohabitate

• IPA^(key): /kɔ.a.bi.ta.sjɔ̃/

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cohabitation f (plural cohabitations)

1. cohabitation (act of living together)
2. (politics) cohabitation

• cohabiter

• “cohabitation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).