What does "cohort" mean?
A group of people supporting the same thing or person.
Cohort
/ˈkoʊ̯.hɔɹt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A group of people supporting the same thing or person.
- Grammar: cohort is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: a grade, abettor, accessory, accomplice.
- Useful contrasts: separate activities, civilian group, disperse.
- Usage evidence: Surprise, surprise: it's Tom and his cohort.
How to use "cohort"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cohort" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cohort" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cohort" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cohort" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cohort" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a grade" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cohort", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A group of people supporting the same thing or person.
"Coyness and caprice have in consequence become a heritage of the sex, together with a cohort of allied weaknesses and petty deceits, that men have come to think venial, and even amiable, in women, but which they would not tolerate among themselves."
- 2 A fan of American author Colleen Hoover (born 1979). slang
"To the CoHorts for your unrivaled support."
- 3 a group of people having approximately the same age wordnet
- 4 A demographic grouping of people, especially those in a defined age group, or having a common characteristic.
"The 18–24 cohort shows a sharp increase in automobile fatalities over the proximate age groupings."
- 5 a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion) wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Any division of a Roman legion, normally of about 500 or 600 men (equalling about six centuries). Ancient-Rome, historical
"Holonym: legion"
- 7 a company of companions or supporters wordnet
- 8 An accomplice; abettor; associate.
"He was able to plea down his sentence by revealing the names of three of his cohorts, as well as the source of the information."
- 9 Any band or body of warriors.
"He ceas’d; and th’ Archangelic Power prepar’d / For ſwift deſcent, with him the Cohort bright / Of watchful Cherubim; […]"
- 10 A natural group of orders of organisms, less comprehensive than a class.
- 11 A colleague.
- 12 A set of individuals in a program, especially when compared to previous sets of individuals within the same program.
"The students in my cohort for my organic chemistry class this year are not up to snuff. Last year's cohort scored much higher averages on the mid-term."
Verb
- 1 To associate with such a group.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Surprise, surprise: it's Tom and his cohort."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cohort"?
Common synonyms include: a grade, abettor, accessory, accomplice, accomplice in crime, adherent.
How do you use "cohort" in a sentence?
Surprise, surprise: it's Tom and his cohort.
How do you pronounce "cohort"?
Pronounced /ˈkoʊ̯.hɔɹt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Latin cohors (stem cohort-); borrowed into Old English as coorta, but reintroduced into Middle English as cōhort and chōors via Old French cohorte. Doublet of court.
Etymology 2
Blend of CoHo (“Colleen Hoover”) + cohort.