cooperation
HighFormal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
The act or process of working together with others towards a common goal.
Willingness to assist and accommodate others; mutual involvement in an activity or effort that requires coordination and shared responsibility.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a conscious, intentional, and often organised joint effort. It carries a positive connotation of mutual benefit and harmony.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'co-operation' with a hyphen was more common in British English historically, but 'cooperation' (closed form) is now standard in both varieties. Pronunciation differs slightly (see IPA).
Connotations
Identical positive connotations of teamwork and mutual benefit in both varieties.
Frequency
Very frequent in both; no significant difference in usage frequency.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
cooperation between X and Ycooperation with Xcooperation on/over/in Xcooperation from XVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in cooperation with”
- “a gesture of cooperation”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Essential for cross-departmental projects and partnerships. 'The merger succeeded due to the close cooperation of both management teams.'
Academic
Used in social sciences to describe inter-group dynamics and international relations. 'The study examines inter-agency cooperation in public health.'
Everyday
Common in requests and descriptions of group activities. 'Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the park clean.'
Technical
In computing, refers to processes or systems working together. 'The software enables seamless cooperation between different applications.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The two departments need to cooperate more effectively.
- We are cooperating with the authorities on the investigation.
American English
- The agencies cooperated to solve the case.
- They refused to cooperate with the audit.
adverb
British English
- The teams worked cooperatively to finish the project.
- She nodded cooperatively.
American English
- They acted cooperatively throughout the process.
- He cooperatively provided the documents.
adjective
British English
- She has a very cooperative attitude.
- We received a cooperative response from the council.
American English
- He was cooperative during the interview.
- The witness was less than cooperative.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children showed good cooperation when they built the tower together.
- Thank you for your cooperation.
- International cooperation is important for fighting climate change.
- The project requires cooperation between several schools.
- Despite initial tensions, the negotiations proceeded with a remarkable degree of cooperation.
- A lack of parental cooperation can hinder a student's progress.
- The bilateral agreement fostered unprecedented economic cooperation between the two nations.
- Her research hinges on the tacit cooperation of participants who may be unaware of their role.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CO-OP' (a cooperative shop where people work together) + 'ERATION' (like 'operation') = COOPERATION, a joint operation.
Conceptual Metaphor
COOPERATION IS A JOURNEY TAKEN TOGETHER (e.g., 'We need to move forward together'), COOPERATION IS A BUILDING (e.g., 'building cooperation', 'foundation of cooperation').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'сотрудничество' as 'co-worker-ship'. 'Cooperation' is the correct match.
- Do not confuse with 'кооперация' (which can mean a specific cooperative organisation). 'Cooperation' is the general act.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'coorporation' (confusion with 'corporation').
- Using 'cooperation' for simple 'help' without the element of joint, coordinated effort.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best captures the core meaning of 'cooperation'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily uncountable. You don't say 'a cooperation'. You can sometimes use it countably in phrases like 'a new era of cooperation' or in legal contexts ('the cooperation was beneficial'), but it's rare.
They are very close synonyms. 'Collaboration' often implies a more intimate, active, and shared creation process (like co-authoring a paper), while 'cooperation' can be broader, sometimes involving less direct joint activity and more general assistance or non-obstruction.
Use 'between' for two parties ('cooperation between A and B'), 'with' for the party you are working alongside ('cooperation with the police'), 'on' or 'in' for the field or project ('cooperation on climate policy'), and 'from' when requesting or receiving it ('We need cooperation from everyone').
'Non-cooperation' or 'failure to cooperate'. In contexts of active opposition, 'obstruction' or 'resistance' are strong antonyms.
Collections
Part of a collection
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B1 · 49 words · Vocabulary for interpersonal and social connections.
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.
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