cooperate
Americanverb (used without object)
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cooperates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cooperated,
past participle, past
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cooperating
present participle
-
to work or act together or jointly for a common purpose or benefit.
-
to work or act with another or other persons willingly and agreeably.
- Synonyms:
- participate, join, collaborate
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to practice economic cooperation.
verb
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to work or act together
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to be of assistance or be willing to assist
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economics (of firms, workers, consumers, etc) to engage in economic cooperation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cooperatesimple
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cooperatessimple
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have cooperatedperfect
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has cooperatedperfect
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am cooperatingprogressive
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are cooperatingprogressive
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is cooperatingprogressive
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have been cooperatingperfect progressive
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has been cooperatingperfect progressive
Past
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cooperatedsimple
-
had cooperatedperfect
-
was cooperatingprogressive
-
were cooperatingprogressive
-
had been cooperatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cooperate
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Latin cooperātus, past participle of cooperārī “to work with”; see co-, operate
Explanation
When you cooperate, you work together. You can cooperate with the police by telling them everything you know about your neighbor’s pet leopard, or your preschooler can cooperate with you by doing everything you tell him to do, now! The verb cooperate is originally from the combination of The Latin prefix co-, meaning “together,” and operari, meaning “to work.” The term “co-op” is a shortening of cooperative and is used when people work together (or cooperate) to run a preschool, health food store, or a residence. When you start or join a co-op, be prepared to cooperate with your partners, and remember: somebody has to clean the bathrooms.
Vocabulary lists containing cooperate
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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Divergent
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Chapter 28: The Cold War Era
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Lib Dems also said the current bill removes the duty for the NHS to cooperate with the Care Quality Commission in providing key safety data and removes automatic "safe space" protections for whistleblowers.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Syria has expressed a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, and President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been received by Putin in Moscow twice since taking over.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Learning how sperm cooperate or depend on shared biological structures may eventually point scientists toward new ways of studying human reproductive difficulties.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
As with anyone who’s been manipulated by others, Yuru isn’t sure he wants to cooperate with anyone at the moment.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
However, when she attempted to dismantle the old brown sofa she’d spent so many hours lounging on, Jinny found that even the cushions didn’t want to cooperate with her.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
Coinciding with the new Moon, dark skies will create ideal viewing conditions for the peak where the weather cooperates.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Van Dyke, the special-forces soldier, funded his Polymarket bets with transfers from Coinbase Global, a regulated cryptocurrency exchange that tracks customers’ identities and cooperates with law enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The Fed disputes that claim and says it voluntarily cooperates with the commission but isn’t legally bound by its decisions.
From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026
In a written statement, a Grindr spokesperson said the company cooperates with law enforcement and encourages people to use its video calling feature to verify connections for safety before meeting in person.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
“Stop making trouble, Nina. If Helvar cooperates, he and Muzzen will both have their freedom just as soon as the job is done.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Minnesota officials said Chipotle has fully cooperated with the investigation and they are no longer concerned about continued exposure.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Chipotle has cooperated in the investigation, including providing records, removing suspected jalapeños from its restaurants and taking steps to prevent further transmission, Medus said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The court was told Whitemountain Quarries Ltd cooperated fully with the subsequent Health and Safety Authority investigation, had no previous convictions, and had not come to adverse attention since the incident.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Instead, the residents of Mohenjo-daro may have cooperated to give households broad access to the resources needed for a comfortable standard of living.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
Mother cooperated by taking me to the Baptist College library.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
The driver, who is cooperating with the investigation, was released from the scene without any criminal charges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
It said that Minnesota investigators had “no ongoing concerns with Chipotle,” and that the company was cooperating with health authorities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
In the filing, Shein said it is cooperating with the FTC’s investigation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
They have been documented engaging in "wave washing" -- cooperating to create choppy waters that knock seals off sheets of ice so they can be more easily captured and eaten.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Scrambling to her feet she watched the pack run along the horizon, a flowing line of magnificent beasts, all cooperating for the sake of each other, all wholly content—except Jello.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
