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

Naval authorities began the search for the men, aged 53 and 32, after their fishing cooperative lost contact with them on 15 August and sent out a distress call.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Spotted lanternfly sperm differ from the cooperative sperm found in many other arthropods.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

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

The Americans had planned to launch the first satellite into orbit as part of the International Geophysical Year, a cooperative global science project that ran from July 1957 to December 1958.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Wildfires pose the greatest reliability risk in the Rocky Mountains, where they can disproportionately affect rural cooperatives, according to NERC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

"There are lots of cooperatives, it's worth asking your supplier if there is one in your region," Spray said.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 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

Cheese was everywhere, cheese centers, cheese cooperatives, cheese stores and stands, perhaps even cheese ice cream.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

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