co-opted; co-opting; co-opts
1
a
: to choose or elect as a member
members co-opted to the committee
b
: to appoint as a colleague or assistant
2
a
: to take into a group (such as a faction, movement, or culture) : absorb, assimilate
The students are co-opted by a system they serve even in their struggle against it.—
A. C. Danto
A. C. Danto
b
: take over, appropriate
a style co-opted by advertisers
Examples of co-opt in a Sentence
the national organization co-opted many formerly independent local groups
Recent Examples on the Web
That Gogglebox was co-opted for propaganda served as a reminder of the power of TV, and of All3Media, the super producer that ultimately owns the format.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 June 2024
The university, founded in 1794 during the French Revolution and later co-opted for the Napoleonic wars, still embodies a militaristic spirit.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 24 June 2024
Noboa told me that his administration had intelligence showing that some sixty per cent of the province’s political class was involved with traffickers, who used public-works contracts to co-opt officials and to launder their profits.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
This spirit of unity has stolen some of the thunder from the huge antigovernment protests that preceded October 7, co-opting their enthusiasm.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for co-opt 
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 27 June 2024
The university, founded in 1794 during the French Revolution and later co-opted for the Napoleonic wars, still embodies a militaristic spirit.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 24 June 2024
Noboa told me that his administration had intelligence showing that some sixty per cent of the province’s political class was involved with traffickers, who used public-works contracts to co-opt officials and to launder their profits.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024
This spirit of unity has stolen some of the thunder from the huge antigovernment protests that preceded October 7, co-opting their enthusiasm.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for co-opt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'co-opt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near co-opt
Cite this Entry
“Co-opt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/co-opt. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
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