# cooperative

/koʊˈɑpɝˌeɪtɪv/ (US) · /kəʊˈɒpəɹətˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cooperative
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. helpful and willing

adjective · CEFR B1

willing to help or work with others to achieve a goal.

For teachers: willing to assist or work jointly with others toward a common purpose.

- The witness was very cooperative and answered all the police officer's questions.
- The suspect remained surprisingly cooperative throughout the interrogation, providing detailed accounts that corroborated the physical evidence found at the scene.

### 2. done together

adjective · CEFR B2

involving two or more people or groups working together.

For teachers: characterised by joint effort or mutual collaboration between parties.

- The two schools started a cooperative project to improve the local park.
- The successful launch was the result of a cooperative effort between international space agencies and private engineering firms.

### 3. member-owned business

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a business or organisation owned and run by the people who work there or use its services.

For teachers: an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet common economic or social needs through a jointly-owned enterprise.

- We buy our vegetables from a local farming cooperative that supports small growers.
- The housing cooperative allows residents to have a direct say in how their building is managed and maintained.

Usage: Often shortened to 'co-op' in everyday speech.

Teaching tip: While 'cooperative' is the formal name, students will more frequently encounter the abbreviation 'co-op' in retail or housing contexts.

## Examples

- The local food cooperative sells fresh vegetables from nearby farms.
- By joining the housing cooperative, the residents gained more control over their monthly rent and building maintenance.
- Small-scale farmers often form a cooperative to increase their collective bargaining power when negotiating prices with large international supermarket chains.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.