# coordination

/koʊˌɔɹdəˈneɪʃən/ (US) · /kəʊˈɔːdɪnˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. organizing people or things

noun · CEFR B2

the act of making different people, groups, or parts work together to achieve a goal.

For teachers: the organized integration of diverse elements or participants into a harmonious or efficient relationship.

- The project failed because there was no coordination between the different departments.
- Effective disaster relief requires seamless coordination between international NGOs, local government agencies, and military logistics teams.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'between' or 'of'.

### 2. physical movement

noun · CEFR B2

the ability to move different parts of your body together smoothly and accurately.

For teachers: the ability to use different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently, often involving sensory feedback.

- Playing video games can actually help improve your hand-eye coordination.
- The gymnast displayed incredible coordination, executing a complex series of flips and landings with perfect precision.

Usage: Commonly modified by adjectives like 'hand-eye' or 'physical'.

### 3. grammar

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

joining two equal parts of a sentence using words like 'and', 'but', or 'or'.

For teachers: the grammatical joining of two or more words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank, typically using a coordinating conjunction.

- In the sentence 'I like tea and he likes coffee', the two parts are joined by coordination.
- The author's heavy use of coordination rather than subordination gives the prose a rhythmic, almost biblical quality.

Usage: Contrasted with 'subordination' in linguistic analysis.

Teaching tip: This is a technical term for teachers; students usually just learn the word 'conjunctions'.

### 4. chemistry

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the way a central metal atom bonds with other molecules around it.

For teachers: the formation of a complex in which a central metal atom or ion is surrounded by a set of bonded molecules or ions called ligands.

- The scientist studied the coordination of the metal ions in the new liquid.
- The coordination number of the central cobalt atom determines the specific geometric shape of the resulting molecular complex.

Usage: Often appears in the phrase 'coordination compound' or 'coordination number'.

## Examples

- Playing the drums requires excellent hand-eye coordination.
- The rescue mission failed because there was no coordination between the police and the fire department.
- Effective disaster relief depends on the seamless coordination of international aid agencies, local government bodies, and non-governmental organizations to prevent the duplication of efforts.

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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.