What is cohabitation and how is it affecting marriage patterns in contemporary societies?

• A. Cohabitation is a legal status only.
• B. Cohabitation has no impact on stability.
• C. Cohabitation always ends in divorce.
• D. Cohabitation is living together without marriage, increasingly common, and can precede or affect the duration and stability of partnerships.

Answer: (D)

Cohabitation means two adults living together in a romantic relationship without being legally married. In many modern societies this arrangement has become more common as norms around marriage loosen and people form partnerships and families in new ways. This pattern can serve as a step toward marriage for some couples, a long-term alternative for others, or a situation that precedes marriage, all of which can influence when people marry, how long partnerships last, and how stable those unions are—though the exact effects depend on motives for cohabiting, how long the cohabitation lasts, and the social and legal context.