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Synonyms

teamwork

American  
[teem-wurk] / ˈtimˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.

  2. work done with a team.


teamwork British  
/ ˈtiːmˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. the cooperative work done by a team

  2. the ability to work efficiently as a team

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of teamwork

First recorded in 1820–30; team + work

Explanation

Winning the World Cup takes some serious teamwork or coordinated effort of each player. Break teamwork apart and you've got the definition: a team that works well together is one that's exhibiting teamwork. Teamwork is not just for sports. Business people working on a large project, a crew of pilots working to land a plane, or a naval ship full of marines all need teamwork. Each person plays their part to help achieve a larger goal. Often people refer to teamwork as a skill. When you work well in teams, you have great teamwork skills.

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Vocabulary lists containing teamwork

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.

"This is a ... test of our physical and psychological endurance, emergency response capabilities, coordination and teamwork, as well as our ability to work and live in orbit," Zhu told reporters.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Focusing on capabilities you have that “AI can’t easily replace” — like communication, teamwork, creative thinking and problem-solving — can also be beneficial, she added.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

There’s a special, frictional magic to creative teamwork — Laurel and Hardy, Nichols and May, Powell and Pressburger, Rankin and Bass — amplified when the teammates are linked by blood.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Another form of teamwork is much broader and less organized.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Stan Livingston was one of the first scientists, though not the last, to discover that the teamwork demanded by Big Science might not suit them.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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