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 adjective
co-option noun
co-optive adjective

Examples of co-opt in a Sentence

the national organization co-opted many formerly independent local groups
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.
For far too long, hearing folks have co-opted and told our stories, and 100% of them are not reflective of our experiences. Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 19 May 2025 Allow me to co-opt the lyrics of a viral TikTok song, because … what the Hellion? Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 17 May 2025 Their biggest concern was about having a hearing person sort of co-opt this and tell this (story). Addie Morfoot, Variety, 16 May 2025 And if that’s the case, perhaps the food delivery app company should co-opt another popular Latino internet meme for their next marketing push. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for co-opt

Word History

Etymology

Latin cooptare, from co- + optare to choose

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of co-opt was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Co-opt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/co-opt. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on co-opt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!