cooperative

1 of 2

adjective

co·​op·​er·​a·​tive kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce cooperative (audio)
-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

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
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Adjective
Be cooperative and courteous to counteract any tension around you. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 July 2025 OpenAI’s models, by contrast, were highly cooperative, which wound up being catastrophic for them against more hostile opponents. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 July 2025
Noun
The Guild brewing cooperative now pours pints where screws and fasteners were once manufactured; artisan pretzel maker Malted Barley provides the cushioning carbs. Bob Curley, AFAR Media, 8 July 2025 Another important partnership involves cooperatives and traditional banks. Juan Arroyo, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cooperative

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cooperative was in 1603

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cooperative. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

cooperative

1 of 2 adjective
co·​op·​er·​a·​tive kō-ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv How to pronounce cooperative (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on cooperative

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