cooperative

American  

[koh-op-er-uh-tiv, -op-ruh-tiv, -op-uh-rey-tiv] / koʊˈɒp ər ə tɪv, -ˈɒp rə tɪv, -ˈɒp əˌreɪ tɪv /

Or co-operative

adjective

1. working or acting together willingly for a common purpose or benefit.

2. demonstrating a willingness to cooperate.

   The librarian was cooperative in helping us find the book.

3. pertaining to economic cooperation.

   a cooperative business.

4. involving or denoting an educational program comprising both classroom study and on-the-job or technical training, especially in colleges and universities.

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noun

• cooperatives
  plural

1. a jointly owned enterprise engaging in the production or distribution of goods or the supplying of services, operated by its members for their mutual benefit, typically organized by consumers or farmers.

2. Also called co-op.  Also called cooperative apartment. 

   1. a building owned and managed by a corporation in which shares are sold, entitling the shareholders to occupy individual units in the building.

   2. an apartment in such a building.

cooperative British  

/ kəʊˈɒpərətɪv, -ˈɒprə- /

adjective

1. willing to cooperate; helpful

2. acting in conjunction with others; cooperating

3. 1. (of an enterprise, farm, etc) owned collectively and managed for joint economic benefit

   2. (of an economy or economic activity) based on collective ownership and cooperative use of the means of production and distribution

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noun

1. a cooperative organization

2. Sometimes shortened to: coop.  Also called: cooperative apartment.  a block of flats belonging to a corporation in which shares are owned in proportion to the relative value of the flat occupied Compare condominium

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• co-operativeness
  noun
• cooperativeness
  noun
• uncooperativeness
  noun
• uncooperative
  adjective
• co-operatively
  adverb
• cooperatively
  adverb
• uncooperatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cooperatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cooperative

From the Late Latin word cooperātīvus, dating back to 1595–1605. See cooperate, -ive

Explanation

As an adjective, cooperative describes working together agreeably for a common purpose or goal as in cooperative play or cooperative employee. As a noun, a cooperative is a jointly-owned business or enterprise where members pool their resources to purchase, do work, and/or distribute things. You might join a food cooperative, for example, which jointly purchases a farmer's labor and then every member gets a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables each week of the growing season. In this use, the word is often shortened to co-op. You might also join a housing cooperative where you own your apartment and you and the other owners jointly care for the upkeep of the building and grounds.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooperative cooperatives

Detectives also interviewed the person who was reported to be hiking with Shields last, who they said was fully cooperative with their investigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Mitochondria are considered ancient because scientists believe they evolved from bacteria that entered into a cooperative relationship with early cells more than a billion years ago.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

Sources said Perez has been "fully cooperative" with the CFTC.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Ellis herself is a little less severe, the locals more grateful for her help—although the most cooperative characters might also be those with the most to hide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

“But if he did bury a snake for somebody else, it’s the first cooperative thing he’s ever done in his life, and I just think we ought to drop the whole subject, don’t you?”

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

As CEO of one of the only cooperatives in the Fortune 500, today she’s answerable not to shareholders or investors but to thousands of decentralized owner-members.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

But across the island, small-scale farmers and cooperatives already operate as private entrepreneurs, growing food, managing their own production and selling to local markets, most of which have been privatized.

From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026

"Smallholders run up debts with cooperatives and sellers of crop protection products to try to improve production" and this worsens the cycle of poverty, he added.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

Businesses, nonprofits and small agricultural cooperatives can apply for an economic injury loan or a physical damage loan through SBA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2025

“The peasant cooperatives, the land reform, the Taste Salt class, the ti kominote legliz—” People shouting now.

From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple

Related Words

• collegial
• concerted
• coordinated
• harmonious
• interdependent
• reciprocal
• symbiotic
• united