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

“We have to demonstrate the cooperative federalism works,” she said last week at a conference in Ottawa.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Although there aren’t any other cooperative breeders among the great apes, there are South American treetop monkeys called marmosets and tamarins who do cooperate to raise young.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Fire engines are typically staffed by three personnel, who commonly work 24-hour shifts, and are supervised by a fire captain, according to Cal Fire cooperative contracts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

ZSL says this is done by rewarding animals with something they enjoy, such as food, helping them remain calm and cooperative, and reducing stress.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

He had been running a cooperative store in the Transkei which he was soon to give up to become an editor of the weekly New Age.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

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