uncooperative

adjective

un·​co·​op·​er·​at·​ive ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce uncooperative (audio)
-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-
: marked by an unwillingness or inability to work with others : not cooperative
the suspect was uncooperative with investigators
an uncooperative witness
… he wonders whether it would be such a bad thing if their uncooperative nanny quit …Caitlin Flanagan
also : providing difficulty
struggled with an uncooperative corkscrew
uncooperative weather

Examples of uncooperative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kerley was not present when authorities arrived, and witnesses became uncooperative. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 4 Jan. 2025 The headline, along with key omissions in the article, malign the city of Elgin’s reputation by creating an unfair implication that the city is being uncooperative and is at fault for the Juneteenth event’s cancellation. Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative, where an individual tends to give up on their own needs and acquiesce to the desires of others by disengaging from the situation altogether. Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 The vehicle reportedly pulled into the parking lot of the Dunkin’ at 1100 Berlin Turnpike, where police said the driver, identified as 20-year-old Pedro Santana of Hartford, got out of the vehicle and allegedly became uncooperative with the officer’s commands. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uncooperative

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncooperative was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncooperative. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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