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
Derived 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.
Since taking office, the Lee Jae Myung administration has worked closely with the U.S. to strengthen and modernize our alliance, expanding cooperation across security, economic resilience, advanced technologies and strategic industries.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
In an interview with the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, Lord Hermer said the Labour government had been able to reduce the number of people making the dangerous journey through international cooperation and agreements.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Their mother made Jerry her health proxy and Arnold the executor of her will, forcing in effect their cooperation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Luckin said at the time the settlement “reflects our cooperation and remediation efforts, and enables the company to continue with the execution of its business strategy.”
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
A mighty campaign was announced, in which the federal government in cooperation with the afflicted states would ultimately treat some 20,000,000 acres in nine southern states.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
