cooperate
B2Neutral (used in all registers)
Definition
Meaning
To work together toward a common goal or to act helpfully.
To assist willingly, comply with requests, or function in harmony with systems or other entities.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies joint effort, willingness, and often a degree of helpfulness or compliance. It can be used for individuals, groups, organizations, and even inanimate objects (e.g., 'The software must cooperate with the hardware').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'cooperate' is standard in American English, while 'co-operate' (with hyphen) is a less common but still accepted variant in British English. The unhyphenated form is now dominant globally.
Connotations
No significant difference in connotation.
Frequency
Very frequent in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
cooperate (with somebody) (in/on doing something)cooperate (with somebody) (to do something)cooperate (in something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “play ball”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Essential for describing partnerships, mergers, and inter-departmental projects. 'The two firms will cooperate on the new product launch.'
Academic
Used in social sciences to describe group dynamics and in research contexts for joint studies. 'The universities cooperated in the longitudinal study.'
Everyday
Common in requests and descriptions of helpful behavior. 'The children cooperated and tidied their rooms.'
Technical
Used in computing and engineering to describe system interoperability. 'The modules must cooperate to process the data stream.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The witness refused to co-operate with the investigation.
- We need all departments to cooperate on this initiative.
American English
- The suspect agreed to cooperate fully with the police.
- The two companies will cooperate to develop the technology.
adverb
British English
- They worked cooperatively to resolve the issue.
- The team functioned cooperatively throughout the crisis.
American English
- The children played cooperatively all afternoon.
- The agencies are now operating cooperatively.
adjective
British English
- He was very cooperative during the interview process.
- A cooperative effort led to the town's regeneration.
American English
- She found the staff to be extremely cooperative.
- They reached an agreement through cooperative negotiation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please cooperate and put your toys away.
- The students cooperated during the game.
- We should cooperate with our neighbours to keep the street clean.
- The software didn't cooperate with my old computer.
- The two research teams agreed to cooperate on a joint publication.
- The success of the mission depended on all parties cooperating fully.
- Despite historic tensions, the nations began to cooperate on environmental policy.
- The investigation faltered when key witnesses declined to cooperate.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CO-OPERATE' = CO (together) + OPERATE (work). We must WORK TOGETHER to OPERATE successfully.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL INTERACTION IS A JOINT VENTURE / HARMONY IS COOPERATION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation of 'cooperate' as 'кооперироваться', which is rare and awkward. Use 'сотрудничать' or 'действовать сообща'.
- Do not confuse with 'coordinate' ('координировать').
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'We cooperated for the project.' Correct: 'We cooperated on the project.' or 'We cooperated for the benefit of the project.'
- Incorrect preposition: 'cooperate to' (when describing a joint activity) vs. 'cooperate with' (when describing the partner).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'cooperate' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Mostly yes, implying helpful teamwork. However, it can be neutral ('The gear must cooperate with the engine') or negative in context ('The prisoners cooperated to plan the escape').
They are often interchangeable. 'Collaborate' often implies a closer, more active partnership on a shared project (like writing a book), while 'cooperate' can imply a more general willingness to assist or not hinder.
Usually, yes. The most common pattern is 'cooperate with [person/organization]'. You can also use 'cooperate on [project]' or 'cooperate to [achieve goal]'.
No, it is now considered an older style. Modern British dictionaries list 'cooperate' as the main headword, making it the preferred spelling even in the UK.