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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.

At his business, he liked to hire athletes because they understood teamwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

That’s what Herndon is: a show of teamwork and resolve.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

Her pitch to voters drew heavily on her sporting success, with references to "winning and losing", teamwork and performance featuring prominently in her manifesto.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"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

Yossarian owed his good health to exercise, fresh air, teamwork and good sportsmanship; it was to get away from them all that he had first discovered the hospital.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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