cooperation
Americannoun
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an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action.
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more or less active assistance from a person, organization, etc..
We sought the cooperation of various civic leaders.
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willingness to cooperate.
to indicate cooperation.
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Economics. the combination of persons for purposes of production, purchase, or distribution for their joint benefit.
producers' cooperation; consumers' cooperation.
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Sociology. activity shared for mutual benefit.
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Ecology. mutually beneficial interaction among organisms living in a limited area.
noun
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joint operation or action
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assistance or willingness to assist
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economics the combination of consumers, workers, farmers, etc, in activities usually embracing production, distribution, or trade
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ecology beneficial but inessential interaction between two species in a community
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cooperation
Ecology - Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Introductory
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Lyndon B. Johnson on "The Great Society" (1964)
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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
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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.
France's finance minister acknowledged Tuesday that two days of talks among leading global economies were "sometimes difficult", even as the group agreed a statement committing to multilateral cooperation in combatting growing economic risks.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
And pretrial and posttrial diversion programs — where someone undergoes treatment in lieu of incarceration — would also need the cooperation of the court system, which the mayor does not control.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
At a press conference in May, Putin said that the two sides were very close to taking "a highly significant step forward in oil and gas cooperation".
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Together, we have the chance to draw on these values to create a future of greater prosperity, cooperation and happiness and peace for our children,” Trump added.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Then, if Wolf Head truly knew Leo’s mind, he would decide there were other ways to force his cooperation.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
