cooperative

adjective

co·op·er·a·tive | \ kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv

, -ˈä-pə-ˌrā-\

Definition of cooperative

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

cooperative

noun

Definition of cooperative (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from cooperative Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cooperative

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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

Humans are highly prosocial, cooperative and altruistic. — John Hawks, WSJ, "‘The Goodness Paradox’ Review: The Benefits of Good Breeding," 25 Jan. 2019 Officers described Cruz as avoiding eye contact with deputies but also being cooperative and engaged with his visitors. — Curt Anderson, Time, "Florida House Passes Gun Bill That Raises Buying Age to 21 and Bans Bump Stocks," 9 Mar. 2018 Providing more money to cooperative extension programs that assist farmers, as well as promoting rural ecotourism and expanding high-speed internet access in rural areas. — Pamela Wood, baltimoresun.com, "Democratic candidate for governor Ben Jealous releases plan for Maryland economy," 13 June 2018 Viktor Silokhin, manager of the 27,000-hectare Partizan cooperative farm, is optimistic that sales will continue to increase to nearby China. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "A Surprise Winner From the U.S.-China Trade Spat: Russian Soybean Farmers," 21 Feb. 2019 Life on the sprawling grasslands precipitated a shift from individualistic ways of living to more cooperative ways. — Sean Illing, Vox, "Why humans evolved into such good bullshitters," 6 Dec. 2018 Last month’s Pyeongchang Olympics sparked the first talks between the two Koreas that followed a flurry of cooperative steps taken to ease tensions during the Winter Games. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Trump warns 'world is watching' after North Korea says it's willing to give up nuclear weapons," 2 Oct. 2018 In one of his cooperative’s fields, the soy grows in neat rows that are spaced farther apart to keep the plants at the right temperature and moisture. — Raymond Zhong, BostonGlobe.com, "China’s taste for soybeans is a weak spot in trade war with Trump," 9 July 2018 In one of his cooperative’s fields, the soy grows in neat rows that are spaced farther apart to keep the plants at the right temperature and moisture. — Raymond Zhong, New York Times, "China’s Taste for Soybeans Is a Weak Spot in the Trade War With Trump," 9 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Additionally, the settlement does not relieve the costs borne by the state’s 20 electric cooperatives, which also shared ownership in the project. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Owner of failed nuclear plant might use golden parachute fund in settlement," 27 Nov. 2018 The system would be much more efficient and cost-effective by combining Chugach and ML&P. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, Chugach Electric is focused on serving our more than 68,000 members with reliable, safe, affordable electricity. — Lee Thiber, Anchorage Daily News, "The case for consolidating Chugach Electric and Municipal Light & Power," 14 Mar. 2018 Seward Park, which sits on a triangular 13-acre site between Grand Street and East Broadway, is one of four sister complexes on the Lower East Side that were built in the late 1950s by the garment workers unions as limited equity cooperatives. — Charles V. Bagli, New York Times, "A $54 Million Offer to Build Oversize Towers Divides Seward Park," 10 June 2018 And the experts' investigation of more than 200 joint ventures and/or cooperatives turned up a number that violated U.N. sanctions resolutions by maintaining links with companies and entities under sanctions. — Fox News, "UN experts: NKorea hasn't stopped nuke and missile programs," 4 Aug. 2018 Just ask Rebecca van Bergen, the founder of Nest—a non-profit that facilitates connections between high fashion brands and artisan cooperatives in over 50 countries. — Amy Louise Bailey, Harper's BAZAAR, "Mara Hoffman Proves Style and Sustainability Can Coexist," 4 May 2017 For decades, the garnacha, as grenache is known in Spanish, went to the local cooperative, which made bulk wines that ended up in anonymous blends. — New York Times, "Reviving Ancient Spanish Vineyards, Building New Traditions," 24 May 2018 The general public — including many judges — often confuse condominiums with cooperatives. — Benny L. Kass, chicagotribune.com, "Can board block delinquent owners from using pool?," 26 July 2017 The cooperative is getting advice from Samsung Electronics Co. , the world’s biggest smartphone maker, to help members develop watches with smart functions. — Ese Erheriene, WSJ, "Old-School Watchmakers Get Smart to Counter Apple," 17 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cooperative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

2 May 2019

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Time Traveler for cooperative

The first known use of cooperative was in 1603

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More Definitions for cooperative

cooperative

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of cooperative

(Entry 1 of 2)

: willing to be helpful by doing what someone wants or asks for

: involving two or more people or groups working together to do something

: relating to a business or organization that is owned and operated by the people who work there or the people who use its services

cooperative

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cooperative (Entry 2 of 2)

: a business or organization that is owned and operated by the people who work there or the people who use its services

See the full definition for cooperative in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cooperative

adjective

co·op·er·a·tive | \ kō-ˈä-pə-rə-tiv

Kids Definition of cooperative

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : willing to work with others

2 : relating to an organization owned by and operated by the people who work there or use its services a cooperative store

cooperative

noun

Kids Definition of cooperative (Entry 2 of 2)

: an organization owned and operated by the people who work there or use its services

cooperative

adjective

Legal Definition of cooperative

(Entry 1 of 2)

: of, relating to, or organized as a cooperative

cooperative

noun

co·op·er·a·tive

Legal Definition of cooperative (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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