cooperative
gb/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/ us/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
B1
English
~ 5600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
willing to help or work together
Ready to help and work with other people, and not making things hard on purpose.
Usage pattern:
be cooperative with [someone] / about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "cooperative" with "corporate" because they look similar. "Cooperative" describes being willing to work with others, while "corporate" relates to companies. Learners may also say "he is very cooperate" instead of the correct adjective form "cooperative".
Synonyms
helpful (Stresses actively giving help, not just being easy to work with.)
|
compliant (More formal; suggests going along with rules or requests, sometimes without protest.)
Antonyms
uncooperative (Direct opposite; refuses to help or work with others.)
|
difficult (Informal; describes someone who makes things hard and is not willing to cooperate.)
Collocations
be cooperative
|highly cooperative
|cooperative attitude
|cooperative witness
|cooperative patient
|remain cooperative
Themes
social
|work
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The patient was very cooperative, which made the examination much easier.
- If you are cooperative with the police, the process will be faster.
- Our kids are usually cooperative when we explain the reasons for a rule.
- The witness was not cooperative and refused to answer basic questions.
- Thank you for being so cooperative during the training session.
Learner examples
- The students were cooperative and followed the teacher’s instructions.
- My boss is friendly and very cooperative with new staff.
- The driver was cooperative when the officer asked to see his license.
- She is always cooperative when we work on group projects.
- The team was cooperative, so we finished the job quickly.
adjective
B2
property
2
involving joint work by people/groups
Describes an action or project where people or groups work together for the same goal.
Usage pattern:
cooperative [project/effort/relationship/approach]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "cooperative" instead of "cooperation" in phrases like *"a good cooperative"* when they mean *"good cooperation"*. Use the adjective "cooperative" before a noun ("cooperative project") and the noun "cooperation" alone or after adjectives ("good cooperation").
Synonyms
collaborative (Common in academic and business contexts; emphasizes working together creatively.)
|
joint (Focuses on shared ownership or responsibility rather than the process of working together.)
Antonyms
competitive (People or groups try to beat each other instead of working together.)
|
adversarial (Formal; describes a relationship based on conflict or opposition.)
Collocations
cooperative effort
|cooperative project
|cooperative relationship
|cooperative learning
|cooperative agreement
|cooperative approach
Themes
work
|business
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The two companies launched a cooperative project to develop new green technology.
- The study showed that cooperative learning improved student performance.
- We need a more cooperative approach between management and staff.
- The countries signed a cooperative agreement on border security.
- Their cooperative relationship has led to several successful joint ventures.
Learner examples
- We did a cooperative project with another class.
- The school uses a cooperative learning method in many subjects.
- A cooperative effort by the team solved the problem.
- They want a cooperative relationship with local businesses.
- The plan needs a cooperative approach from all departments.
Noun
B2
entity
3
member-owned business organization
A business that is owned and run by the people who work in it or use it, and they share the money it makes.
Usage pattern:
a cooperative of [workers/farmers/tenants]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "cooperative" (the organization) with "corporation" or "company" and may translate them the same way. Also, they may not realize that "co-op" is simply a shorter, informal form of "cooperative" in this sense.
Synonyms
co-op (Short, informal form commonly used in speech and writing.)
|
mutual (In financial contexts (e.g., mutual societies); similar member-owned structure but not always identical.)
Antonyms
corporation (A standard company usually owned by shareholders, not directly by its workers or users.)
|
private company (Owned by individual owners or investors rather than by all the users or workers together.)
Collocations
housing cooperative
|worker cooperative
|consumer cooperative
|agricultural cooperative
|join a cooperative
|run a cooperative
Themes
business
|economics
|society
|finance
|work
Examples
- The farmers formed a cooperative to market their products directly.
- She lives in a housing cooperative where residents help manage the building.
- The village runs a small food cooperative that sells local produce at low prices.
- Workers voted to turn the failing factory into a cooperative.
- Joining the cooperative gives members discounts and a share of the profits.
Learner examples
- They started a cooperative to sell their coffee.
- I bought my food from a local cooperative.
- He is a member of a worker cooperative.
- The building is owned by a housing cooperative.
- The farmers joined a cooperative to get better prices.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cooperative
IPA
GB/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
US/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
Syllables & stress
co - oper - at - ive (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (oper)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: cooperative
Noun
- Base: cooperative
- Plural: cooperatives
Word family
Forms
cooperatives
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
uncooperative
adjective
Advanced or less common
cooperator
noun
cooperativeness
noun
Expressions
agricultural cooperative
1/ˌæɡɹɪkˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
farmer-owned business group
A business created by farmers to buy things together or sell their products together.
Examples
- The agricultural cooperative helps small farmers get better prices for their crops.
- Many dairy farmers belong to an agricultural cooperative that handles distribution.
consumer cooperative
1/kənsˈumɚ koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
customer-owned store or service
A shop or service that is owned by the people who buy from it, and these people share the benefits.
Examples
- The town runs a small consumer cooperative to keep food prices low.
- Joining the consumer cooperative gives members a yearly refund based on their purchases.
cooperative learning
1/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv lˈɚnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
teaching method using group work
A way of teaching where students study and solve problems together in small groups.
Examples
- The teacher used cooperative learning to help students practice speaking English.
- Research shows that cooperative learning can increase student motivation and understanding.
cooperative society
1/koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal member-owned cooperative body
A formal organization, registered under law, that is owned and run by its members as a cooperative.
Examples
- The village cooperative society runs a small bank and a grocery store.
- He joined a cooperative society that provides loans to local businesses.
housing cooperative
1/hˈaʊzɪŋ koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
resident-owned housing organization
A building or group of homes that is owned and managed by the people who live there as a cooperative.
Examples
- They moved into a housing cooperative to have more control over building decisions.
- In a housing cooperative, residents usually vote on major repairs and rules.
worker cooperative
1/wˈɚkɚ koʊˈɑpɚˌeɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
worker-owned business structure
A business that is owned and run by the people who work there, not by outside owners.
Examples
- The bakery was converted into a worker cooperative after the owner retired.
- In a worker cooperative, employees vote on important business decisions.