cooperation
Pluralcooperations (some meanings)
- 1The act of working together with others for a common purpose.
Close cooperation between the two agencies helped contain the outbreak within weeks.
The board game rewards cooperation over competition, so players do best when they share their cards.
Similarcollaboration, teamwork, partnership
Oppositecompetition
- 2Active help given by a person, organization or other party, such as an orderly sharing of space or resources.
The city is seeking cooperation from local businesses to share loading zones during the construction.
Without the hospital's full cooperation, the investigators could not review the patient records.
Similarassistance, help, support
- 3The joining of people or groups in an association for mutual benefit, for example to produce or buy goods together.
Farmers in the valley turned to cooperation, pooling their savings to buy seed and machinery in bulk.
Consumer cooperation lets members buy groceries at cost from a store they jointly own.
Practice
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Origin
First attested in 1620–1630, borrowed from French cooperation, from Late Latin cooperātiō. It can be analysed as co- + operation, or as cooperate + -ion.