co-opt

verb

kō-ˈäpt 

co-opted; co-opting; co-opts

transitive verb

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

b

: take over, appropriate

a style co-opted by advertisers

co-optative

kō-ˈäp-tə-tiv 

adjective

co-option

kō-ˈäp-shən 

noun

co-optive

kō-ˈäp-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

• absorb
• assimilate
• embody
• incorporate
• integrate

Examples of co-opt in a Sentence

the national organization co-opted many formerly independent local groups

Recent Examples on the Web

Walters was co-opted to the BAFTA Cymru committee in April 2023. —Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2024

Over time, these mechanisms were co-opted by multicellular organisms to facilitate the development of specialized cells and tissues. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Any significant new economic coercion could also face headwinds from Washington’s crucial Gulf allies, whose leaders now prefer to co-opt rather than confront Tehran. —Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024

Nearly four decades since its inception, American Girl has evolved in a rare way; adult fans have co-opted it, remixing the American Girl iconography into their own art, podcasts, online museums, stop-motion videos and memes as a form of political and cultural expression. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin cooptare, from co- + optare to choose

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

co-opt

verb

kō-ˈäpt

co-opted; co-opting

1

: to take into a group (as a faction, movement, or culture) : assimilate

2

: take over, appropriate sense 1

a style co-opted by advertisers