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This article is based on a historical survey of the terminology used to refer to cohabitation without marriage. Over the years different terms have been applied to it, leading to the current difficulty of finding a suitable term for a new situation which is becoming increasingly common. This lack of terminological clarity in the academic field also extends to couples who cohabit and their close relatives, who do not have a single, clearly defined concept for this type of relationship. This article aims to highlight the inherent lack of definition regarding a current social reality in Catalan families as an example of changes in marital life. The terminology shows how cohabitation is an option forming part of a transformation that goes beyond the couple, affecting the family and family relationships in general. The article is the result of an anthropological analysis carried out as part of the research thesis "L'amor sense papers. Parella, fills i parents en la cohabitació a Catalunya" (Love without papers. The couple, children and relatives in cohabitation in Catalonia) (2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]