What does "cooperative" mean?
A type of company that is owned partially or wholly by its employees, customers or tenants.
Cooperative
/kuˈɑp.ɹətɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A type of company that is owned partially or wholly by its employees, customers or tenants.
- Grammar: cooperative is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: academic affiliation, academic collaboration, accommodating, accommodating.
- Useful contrasts: adversarial, competitive, contrarious.
- Usage evidence: It's not only the health aspects of sports that appeal to people, but the cooperative aspect that team sports teach, and the competitive aspect in itself.
How to use "cooperative"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cooperative" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cooperative" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cooperative" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cooperative" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cooperative" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "academic affiliation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cooperative", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type of company that is owned partially or wholly by its employees, customers or tenants.
"The head of an agricultural producers’ cooperative in Chien-shih county of Hupei Province lectured his peasant wife: “To gain emancipation, women must do production work just like men.”"
- 2 a jointly owned commercial enterprise (usually organized by farmers or consumers) that produces and distributes goods and services and is run for the benefit of its owners wordnet
- 3 an association formed and operated for the benefit of those using it wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Ready to work with another person or in a team; ready to cooperate.
"The patient was rarely cooperative, and tended to refuse treatment."
- 2 Involving cooperation between individuals or parties.
"a cooperative game"
- 3 Relating to a cooperative or cooperatives.
Adjective
- 1 willing to adjust to differences in order to obtain agreement wordnet
- 2 done with or working with others for a common purpose or benefit wordnet
- 3 involving the joint activity of two or more wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"It's not only the health aspects of sports that appeal to people, but the cooperative aspect that team sports teach, and the competitive aspect in itself."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cooperative"?
Common synonyms include: academic affiliation, academic collaboration, accommodating, accommodating, accommodative, accompanying.
How do you use "cooperative" in a sentence?
It's not only the health aspects of sports that appeal to people, but the cooperative aspect that team sports teach, and the competitive aspect in itself.
How do you pronounce "cooperative"?
Pronounced /kuˈɑp.ɹətɪv/.
Etymology
From co- + operative.