Cohabitation
Cohabitation is an arrangement where two people who are not married live together in a romantic relationship and/or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis.
"Cohabitation" usually refers to unmarried couples who live together without formally registering their relation as a marriage. Such arrangements have become increasingly common in Western countries during the past few decades, being led by changing social views, especially regarding marriage, gender roles and religion.
More broadly, the term cohabitation can mean any number of people living together. To "cohabit", in a broad sense, means to "coexist". The origin of the term comes from the mid 16th century, from the Latin cohabitare, from co- 'together' + habitare 'dwell'.
Social changes leading to increase
Today, cohabitation is a common pattern among people in the Western world.
In Europe, the Scandinavian countries have been the first to start this leading trend, although many countries have since followed. Mediterranean Europe has traditionally been very conservative, with religion playing a strong role. Until the mid-1990s, cohabitation levels remained low in this region, but have since increased.