Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of summarily appointing someone to a group or position: This refers to the process of selecting and appointing a new member to a body, often without a formal election or application process. The appointment may be made with or without the explicit consent of the person being appointed.
   • The selection of a new member by a vote of the existing members: This meaning emphasizes the method of selection, where current members of a group, committee, or organization vote to choose and admit a new member from outside their existing ranks.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The board filled the vacant seat through co-option rather than a public election.
  • Her co-option to the committee was approved unanimously by the current members.
  • The process of co-option allowed the club to quickly bring in an expert on the subject.

Advanced Usage

• Political or Strategic Co-option: This refers to the tactic of assimilating, neutralizing, or gaining control over individuals, groups, or ideas by bringing them into one's own structure or system.
  • The party's co-option of popular grassroots movements helped broaden its appeal.
• Co-option as Absorption: In a broader sense, it can describe the absorption of an element into a larger, established system, often diluting its original independent character.
  • The artist feared the co-option of her radical style by mainstream fashion.

Variants and Related Words

• Co-opt (verb): The action of appointing by co-option or absorbing into a group.
  • The committee decided to co-opt three external advisors for the project.
• Co-optation (noun): A less common variant with the same meaning as "co-option."
• Co-optive (adjective): Relating to or characterized by co-option.
  • The group used a co-optive strategy to manage dissent.

Synonyms

• Appointment: The act of assigning a job or role to someone.
• Co-optation: (See variants above).
• Incorporation: The action of including something as part of a whole.
• Assimilation: The process of absorbing and integrating people, ideas, or culture.

Related Phrases

• To be co-opted onto something: To be selected and appointed to a group by its existing members.
  • She was co-opted onto the editorial board due to her extensive experience.
• A co-opted member: A member who has been appointed through this process.
  • As a co-opted member, he could participate in discussions but not vote on financial matters.

Related Idioms

• A co-option of ideas: The act of taking over or adopting ideas from another source, often without full acknowledgment.
  • The policy was criticized as a mere co-option of the opposition's popular proposals.

Noun

1. the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent)
2. the selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership)