cooperative

[koh-op-er-uh-tiv, -op-ruh-tiv, -op-uh-rey-tiv] /koʊˈɒp ər ə tɪv, -ˈɒp rə tɪv, -ˈɒp əˌreɪ tɪv/

adjective

working or acting together willingly for a common purpose or benefit.

demonstrating a willingness to cooperate:

The librarian was cooperative in helping us find the book.

pertaining to economic cooperation:

a cooperative business.

involving or denoting an educational program comprising both classroom study and on-the-job or technical training, especially in colleges and universities.

noun

a jointly owned enterprise engaging in the production or distribution of goods or the supplying of services, operated by its members for their mutual benefit, typically organized by consumers or farmers.

Also called co-op, cooperative apartment.

a building owned and managed by a corporation in which shares are sold, entitling the shareholders to occupy individual units in the building.
an apartment in such a building.
Compare condominium (defs 1, 2).

Also, co-operative.

Origin

1595-1605; < Late Latin cooperātīvus. See cooperate, -ive

Related forms

cooperatively, co-operatively

[koh-op-er-uh-tiv-lee, -op-ruh-tiv-, -op-uh-rey-tiv-] /koʊˈɒp ər ə tɪv li, -ˈɒp rə tɪv-, -ˈɒp əˌreɪ tɪv-/ (Show IPA), adverb

cooperativeness, co-operativeness, noun

uncooperative, adjective

uncooperatively, adverb

uncooperativeness, noun

Examples from the web for cooperative

Such cooperative ventures are occurring across science and engineering and are likely to become more common in the decade to come.
Many pelicans fish by swimming in cooperative groups.
Divorce would free high testosterone males to find other cooperative females with which to reproduce again.
It's fun, not terribly difficult, and insanely fun in both single player and cooperative modes.
But the sponsor is proposing a leasehold cooperative.
Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the performance of duties.
All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.
Play does not enhance social cohesion in a cooperative mammal.
Ability to establish sound pedagogy and cooperative working relationships in a diverse, multi-cultural environment.
And don t argue too much with the cooperative because there may be someone there who sits on the local bank s credit committee.

British Dictionary definitions for cooperative

cooperative

/kəʊˈɒpərətɪv; -ˈɒprə-/

adjective

willing to cooperate; helpful

acting in conjunction with others; cooperating

(of an enterprise, farm, etc) owned collectively and managed for joint economic benefit
(of an economy or economic activity) based on collective ownership and cooperative use of the means of production and distribution

noun

a cooperative organization

(US) Also called cooperative apartment. a block of flats belonging to a corporation in which shares are owned in proportion to the relative value of the flat occupied Sometimes shortened to coop Compare condominium (sense 3)

Derived Forms

cooperatively, co-operatively, adverb
cooperativeness, co-operativeness, noun

Word Origin and History for cooperative

adj.

also co-operative, c.1600, from Late Latin cooperat-, past participle stem of cooperari (see cooperation) + -ive. Political economy sense is from 1808, from the pre-Marx communist movement. The noun meaning "a cooperative store" is from 1883; meaning "a cooperative society" is from 1921.