cooperation

American  

[koh-op-uh-rey-shuhn] / koʊˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃən /

Or co-operation

noun

cooperations plural

1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action.

2. more or less active assistance from a person, organization, etc..

   We sought the cooperation of various civic leaders.

3. willingness to cooperate.

   to indicate cooperation.

4. Economics. the combination of persons for purposes of production, purchase, or distribution for their joint benefit.

   producers' cooperation; consumers' cooperation.

5. Sociology. activity shared for mutual benefit.

6. Ecology. mutually beneficial interaction among organisms living in a limited area.

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cooperation British  

/ kəʊˌɒpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. joint operation or action

2. assistance or willingness to assist

3. economics the combination of consumers, workers, farmers, etc, in activities usually embracing production, distribution, or trade

4. ecology beneficial but inessential interaction between two species in a community

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• co-operationist
  noun
• cooperationist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cooperations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cooperation

First recorded in 1620–30; from Middle French, from Late Latin cooperātiōn-, stem of cooperātiō; equivalent to cooperate + -ion

Explanation

Working together is cooperation. Thanks to the cooperation of the parents, teachers, and students, the end of year school dance rocked the house without rocking the boat. If you break apart cooperation you see co which means together and operation which is a project or job. When you practice cooperation you are working together on a job or project. Cooperation can sometimes be hard to come by, which is why when someone does a lot of it, it's nice to say thank you.

Example Sentences

"China is a responsible fishing nation, strictly enforcing the regulation of its distant-water fishing activities and engaging in mutually beneficial fisheries cooperation with relevant countries in accordance with international law," it said in a statement.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

"Given the extraordinary lengths he has taken to avoid such payments and that each of those efforts has been denied in full, that cooperation ends today," the lawyers wrote.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

“Alibaba and AUS have documented steps taken to improve their screening and compliance and provided a commitment to ongoing cooperation with U.S. law enforcement in the future,” Assistant Attorney General Tysen Duva said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

Susie Wiles, the president's chief of staff, posted Tuesday on X that the Trump administration was grateful for the cooperation from tech companies, though she didn't name any.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

The Pew report, done in cooperation with several other nonprofit groups, found that nearly 90 percent of teachers said the Internet is creating “an easily distracted generation with short attention spans.”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• aid
• assistance
• collaboration
• participation
• partnership
• service
• unity