co-operative

The farmers sell their produce at the local co-operative.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Willing to work with others: "co-operative" describes someone who is helpful and ready to collaborate or assist in achieving a shared goal.
   • Relating to a joint enterprise: Referring to an organization, especially a business or farm, that is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits.

2. Noun:

   • A jointly owned enterprise: "co-operative" (often spelled "cooperative") is a business or organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit, such as a farming co-operative or a housing co-operative.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The new employee is very co-operative and always offers to help her colleagues. (She is willing to work with others.)
  • The two teams had a co-operative relationship, sharing resources to complete the project. (They worked together collaboratively.)

• Noun:

  • The farmers formed a co-operative to buy seeds and sell their crops at better prices. (A jointly owned agricultural business.)
  • She lives in a housing co-operative where all residents share responsibilities for maintenance. (A jointly owned housing organization.)

Advanced Usage

• "co-operative society": A formal term for a co-operative organization, often used in legal or economic contexts.

  • The co-operative society distributed profits equally among its members. (The jointly owned organization shared earnings fairly.)

• "co-operative movement": A social and economic movement advocating for co-operative enterprises as an alternative to capitalism.

  • The co-operative movement gained momentum in the 19th century, promoting worker-owned businesses. (A movement supporting joint ownership.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cooperative (adj/noun): An alternate spelling, more common in American English.

  • The cooperative store offers discounts to members. (The jointly owned shop.)

• Cooperate (verb): To work together toward a common goal.

  • The two companies decided to cooperate on the research project. (They worked jointly.)

• Cooperation (noun): The act of working together.

  • Cooperation between departments improved productivity. (Joint effort.)

Synonyms

• Collaborative: Willing to work jointly with others.
• Helpful: Ready to assist or support.
• Jointly owned: Used to describe a business or property shared by members.

Phrasal Verbs

• (No common phrasal verbs directly use "co-operative"; however, related verbs like "cooperate with" exist.)
  • They cooperated with the authorities to solve the case. (They worked together with the authorities.)

Related Idioms

• "Pull together": To work as a team, similar to being co-operative.

  • If we all pull together, we can finish the project on time. (We work co-operatively.)

• "Team player": Someone who works well with others, synonymous with a co-operative person.

  • She is a true team player, always co-operative in group tasks. (She collaborates effectively.)