Please help me define cohabitation, I’m still a bit fuzzy on the concept.
1) Does it still count as cohabitation if the couples kept themslves chaste until marraige?
2) If the answer is yes, which is better, a short term cohabitation where the couples did not remain chaste or a long term one where the couple refrained from relations until marraige?
3) Does it still count if it’s a relatively short period of time (day before marraige, one week after engagement)?
Literally, yes. Practically, no. Chaste cohabitors represent .001% of the cohabiting population (my statistics). IOW, they're statistically insignificant.
But cohabitation is a public scandal. And that's reason enough not to engage in it.
3) Does it still count if its a relatively short period of time (day before marraige, one week after engagement)?
Yes, because cohabitation is a public scandal. One doesn't have to be a Christian to understand the importance of bad example.