: the act or an instance of co-opting something : a taking over or appropriation of something for a new or different purpose
The co-optation of the raised fist as a patriotic symbol … Niela Orr
Wolfe's shrewd co-optation of hip style in service of a meat-and-potatoes cultural agenda won countless admirers, who hailed him as a brilliant satirist with a voice extravagant as America itself. Rand Richards Cooper

Examples of co-optation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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India has used a mix of improvisation, co-optation, and coercion to control the northeast, often betraying its own constitutional values in the process. Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 The potential for co-optation is clearest in the business sector. Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of co-optation was in 1966

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Cite this Entry

“Co-optation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/co-optation. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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