collocation · neutral
cohabiting couple
UK/kəʊˈhæbɪtɪŋ ˈkʌp(ə)l/US/koʊˈhæbɪtɪŋ ˈkʌpəl/co·HA·bit·ing COU·ple
a couple who live together without being legally married
Examples
“Cohabiting couples may share bills and childcare without formal marriage.”
“Surveys show that the number of cohabiting couples has increased in recent years.”
“Some cohabiting couples later decide to get married, while others do not.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policy makers must recognise the rights of cohabiting couples, since many provide stable family environments without formal marriage.”
Collocations
- long-term cohabiting couple
- young cohabiting couples
Word family
Common mistakes
cohabit couple→cohabiting couple
couple cohabiting→cohabiting couple
Say it for a higher band
5living together→6cohabiting→7+cohabiting couple
Synonyms
living together
Easily confused
married couple
“A married couple usually has a marriage certificate, while a cohabiting couple may not.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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