cooperate

verb

co·​op·​er·​ate kō-ˈä-pə-ˌrāt How to pronounce cooperate (audio)
cooperated; cooperating; cooperates

intransitive verb

1
: to act or work with another or others : act together or in compliance
refused to cooperate with the police
2
: to associate with another or others for mutual benefit
nations cooperating to fight terrorism
cooperator noun

Examples of cooperate in a Sentence

It will be much easier if everyone cooperates. Several organizations cooperated in the relief efforts. The country agreed to cooperate with the other nations on the trade agreement. The mother asked the child to put on his pajamas, but the child refused to cooperate. Witnesses were willing to cooperate.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
On dreary days, spend a few hours at the National Museum of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland; when the weather cooperates, journey down the Royal Mile (Old Town’s main thoroughfare) and hike up to Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano and the highest peak in Holyrood Park. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024 While past troubles have led the tribe and the landowners to occasionally cooperate, tensions now lead to chaos. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024 Authorities are confident the shooter acted alone, Smith said Friday afternoon, adding the suspect is not cooperating or speaking with authorities. Paradise Afshar, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024 Prosecutors haven't publicly identified the informant, but details in an FBI affidavit suggest Kamara is the one who cooperated with the FBI to offer White envelopes of cash. Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cooperate 

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin cooperatus, past participle of cooperari, from Latin co- + operari to work — more at operate

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cooperate was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near cooperate

Cite this Entry

“Cooperate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cooperate. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cooperate

verb
co·​op·​er·​ate kō-ˈäp-(ə-)ˌrāt How to pronounce cooperate (audio)
cooperated; cooperating
: to act, work, or associate with others so as to get something done

More from Merriam-Webster on cooperate

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