coordination
B2Neutral to formal. Common in business, management, academic, and technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The act of organizing people or groups so that they work together efficiently toward a common goal.
Can also refer to the harmonious functioning of parts in a complex process, or the ability to control one's bodily movements smoothly.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core sense involves organizing separate elements into a cooperative whole. In physiology, it refers to neuromuscular control. It's an uncountable noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slightly more frequent in British formal/governmental contexts (e.g., 'minister for coordination'). The physiological sense is equally common in both.
Connotations
Generally positive, implying efficiency, order, and harmony. Can be neutral in technical descriptions.
Frequency
High frequency in professional and academic registers in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
coordination between A and Bcoordination of [noun phrase]in coordination withVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A well-oiled machine (implies excellent coordination)”
- “To be on the same page (related to coordinated understanding)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The coordination of marketing and sales teams is crucial for product launches.
Academic
The study examined inter-agency coordination in public health crises.
Everyday
Planning the family holiday required a lot of coordination.
Technical
The patient exhibited ataxia, a severe lack of muscular coordination.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She will coordinate the volunteers.
- We need to coordinate our diaries.
American English
- He coordinated the relief efforts.
- The departments must coordinate their schedules.
adverb
British English
- The teams worked coordinately on the project. (Rare)
American English
- The agencies acted coordinately in the response. (Rare)
adjective
British English
- She has a coordinating role.
- We held a coordinating meeting.
American English
- He is the coordinating producer.
- Send it to the coordinating office.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Football players need good coordination.
- The teacher helped with the coordination of the school play.
- International coordination is needed to fight climate change.
- His injury affected his balance and coordination.
- The success of the event depended on the flawless coordination of dozens of staff.
- A lack of coordination between departments led to the delay.
- The central bank's policy requires careful coordination with fiscal authorities to avoid market disruption.
- Neurophysiologists study the neural substrates underlying sensorimotor coordination.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an orchestra's CONDUCTOR getting everyone IN sync. CONDUCTOR + IN = COORDINATION.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY IS DANCE or MACHINERY (e.g., 'smooth coordination', 'well-oiled coordination').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'координация' (which is a direct cognate and correct). The trap is over-extending it to mean simple 'communication' or 'agreement'. It implies an active organizing process, not just talking.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'a coordination').
- Confusing 'coordination' with 'cooperation' (the latter is more about willingness to help, the former about organizing that help).
- Misspelling as 'corordination'.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'coordination' in its physiological sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is generally uncountable. You don't say 'a coordination' or 'coordinations'. You can have 'a lack of coordination' or 'a level of coordination'.
Cooperation is the willingness to work together. Coordination is the active process of organizing the cooperating parties so their work is synchronized and efficient. You can cooperate without good coordination.
It's the specific ability to coordinate visual input (what you see) with the movement of your hands and fingers, crucial for tasks like catching a ball, typing, or sewing.
No, 'coordination' is a noun. The related verb is 'to coordinate'. The adjective is 'coordinating' or 'coordinated'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Leadership and Management
B2 · 46 words · Language for leading teams and managing organizations.
Public Policy
C1 · 47 words · Language for governance, policy and administration.
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