MEANING
A group of people defined by a shared characteristic or event and treated as a unit for study or comparison.
Use it for
longitudinal research; generational comparisons; tracking educational outcomesIdentify the shared timing or experience defining a group.
Words that belong together
- birth cohort
- graduating cohort
- follow a cohort
On the page
The study followed a cohort of apprentices for five years.
The graduating cohort faced an unusually weak labor market.
Comparing different birth cohorts can reveal changes that an age-only analysis misses.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- cohort
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. Often defined by birth, entry, graduation, or treatment. A cohort may be examined at one time or followed longitudinally; membership alone does not specify the study design. A cohort is not necessarily representative of a population, and a cohort effect differs from an age effect. Singular: cohort; plural: cohorts.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.