cooperative

1 of 2

adjective

co·​op·​er·​a·​tive kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv 

-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-

1

a

: marked by cooperation

cooperative efforts

b

: marked by a willingness and ability to work with others

cooperative neighbors

2

: of, relating to, or organized as a cooperative

a cooperative store

3

: relating to or comprising a program of combined liberal arts and technical studies at different schools

cooperatively adverb

cooperativeness noun

cooperative

2 of 2

noun

: an enterprise or organization owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services

Synonyms of cooperative

Adjective

• collaborative
• collective
• joint
• combined
• mutual
• communal

Examples of cooperative in a Sentence

Adjective

The witness was very cooperative.

a cooperative space project undertaken by Russia and the U.S.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In Fekak’s case, the driver stayed at the scene, was cooperative with police and showed no signs of impairment, police spokeswoman Alyssa Arcand said earlier this week. —Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home is within a prestigious 1920s prewar cooperative apartment house designed in the 1920s by American architect Rosario Candela. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 May 2026

Noun

Starting in the 1950s, the largest network of worker cooperatives in the world, the Mondragon Corporation in Spain’s Basque region, was founded by a Catholic priest. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 May 2026

The nonprofit Liberty HealthShare — a Christian cooperative in which members pay monthly dues toward each other’s care as an alternative to traditional health insurance — is lowering its monthly costs, according to a recent press release. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see cooperate

Noun

see cooperate

First Known Use

Adjective

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cooperative

• allocative
• appellative
• applicative
• commutative
• connotative
• copulative
• degradative
• dissipative
• educative
• exudative
• facultative
• imitative

Kids Definition

cooperative

1 of 2 adjective

co·​op·​er·​a·​tive kō-ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv 

-ˈäp-ə-ˌrāt-

1

: willing to cooperate

cooperative neighbors

2

: of, relating to, or organized as a cooperative

a cooperative store

cooperative apartments

cooperatively adverb

cooperativeness noun

cooperative

2 of 2 noun

: an association owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services

Legal Definition

cooperative

1 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or organized as a cooperative

cooperative

2 of 2 noun

co·​op·​er·​a·​tive

: an enterprise or organization (as for banking and credit services or the ownership of residential property) that is owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services

called also co-op

compare condominium sense 1