cooperate
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to work with other people to reach a common goal or finish a task.
to act or work jointly with others for a mutual benefit or common purpose.
Simple“The two companies decided to cooperate on a new project to build electric cars.”
In context“Local authorities and environmental groups must cooperate closely if they hope to restore the river's ecosystem within the next decade.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'with' for people and 'on' for tasks.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to do what someone asks you to do, especially an official or a person in charge.
to comply with the requests or instructions of others, particularly those in authority.
Simple“The witness agreed to cooperate with the police and told them everything she saw.”
In context“Despite initial hesitation, the suspect eventually chose to cooperate fully with the investigation in exchange for a reduced sentence.”
UsageOften used in the context of police investigations or following rules.
- 03 C1 Advanced
when things work well together to produce a good result.
to function or operate in harmony; used of inanimate objects or abstract forces that align to produce a specific outcome.
Simple“The weather did not cooperate, and our outdoor party was ruined by rain.”
In context“For the experiment to succeed, every variable must cooperate perfectly, as even a minor fluctuation in temperature could invalidate the results.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
to persuade someone to help the police or a court, usually by offering them a deal.
to obtain the formal assistance of a potential witness, often by offering legal incentives.
Simple“The prosecutor spent months trying to cooperate the driver of the getaway car.”
In context“Federal agents successfully cooperated the lead accountant, whose testimony provided the evidence needed to dismantle the entire criminal enterprise.”
UsageIn this specific legal sense, the verb is used transitively.
Synonyms
“Species that live this way form colonies containing overlapping generations, cooperate in raising young and divide reproductive responsibilities.”
“People like that would have to be “out of the inner circle” before Reform UK would hold talks with Restore Britain about cooperating, he said.”
Originated 1595–1605 from Late Latin cooperātus, perfect passive participle of cooperor (“to work with”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more. Equivalent to co- + operate. Displaced native Old English efnwyrċan.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.