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Synonyms

cooperation

American  
[koh-op-uh-rey-shuhn] / koʊˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃən /
Or co-operation

noun

  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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • co-operationist noun
  • cooperationist noun

Etymology

Origin of cooperation

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

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.

Instead, the committee of agency leaders could have had a more lasting and positive impact if it had worked to build trust and cooperation among industry, conservation groups and agencies.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

"I've been remarkably impressed with the degree of cooperation from senior medical staff," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Yet it shouldn’t obscure the reality of practical cooperation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

"I do think that we should strengthen our cooperation on defence, security, energy, emissions and the economy," he replied.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Since large-scale human cooperation is based on myths, the way people cooperate can be altered by changing the myths—by telling different stories.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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.