Connotations of the word “cohort”

As suggested in the following extract, the term is used mainly with a neutral connotation:

• A cohort is a group of people who are around the same age, like a cohort of college students who have similar experiences and concerns.

• The word cohort was originally used to describe a military unit in ancient Rome. You can see how this retains traces of the word’s origins: cohorts are bound together by similar circumstances just like a group of soldiers in a military unit. Some language purists insist that the word only describe a group, such as a cohort of accountants, but it can also refer to companions or supporters, such as “Susie and her cohorts.”

(Vocabulary.com)

The OLD suggests a usage with a disapproving (possibly negative) connotation:

• (specialist) a group of people who share a common feature or aspect of behaviour

  • the 1999 birth cohort (= all those born in 1999)

• (disapproving) a member of a group of people who support another person

  • Robinson and his cohorts were soon ejected from the hall.
  • The director made his entrance followed by his cohort of technicians and production assistants.