different between cohabitation vs concubinage

English

Etymology

From French cohabitation, from Latin cohabitationem.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ko?hæb??te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

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.

Synonyms

• marriage, civil union

Derived terms

• cohabitate

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?.a.bi.ta.sj??/

Noun

cohabitation f (plural cohabitations)

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

Related terms

• cohabiter

Further reading

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

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French concubinage.

Noun

concubinage (countable and uncountable, plural concubinages)

1. The state of cohabiting or living together as man and wife while not married.
2. The state of being or keeping a concubine.
   • 1902 Websters International Dictionary. "In some countries, concubinage is marriage of an inferior kind, or performed with less solemnity than a true or formal marriage; or marriage with a woman of inferior condition to whom the husband does not convey his rank or quality. Under Roman Law, it was the living together of a man and a woman in sexual relations without marriage but in conformity with local law."

Translations

French

Etymology

From concubin +? -age.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.ky.bi.na?/

Noun

concubinage m (plural concubinages)

1. concubinage

Further reading

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