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

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

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

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

Across the island, they have been experimenting with agro-ecology, animal traction, local inputs and cooperative models.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Operationally, it has underscored how heavily the U.S. still relies on Europe—and how cooperative most European governments are.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

TMZ reported that Ritchson “has been cooperative with the police” and that no arrests have been made in this case.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Asked if the US was being cooperative, Sir Mark said: "Yeah, so those conversations are where I'd expect them to be at the moment."

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

I’ve been as transient in my adult life as anyone in our cooperative.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

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