Cooperate

USAGE SUMMARY

"cooperate" is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it to express an idea of willingness to work together with someone to achieve a goal. For example, "The two companies agreed to cooperate in order to create a new product."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But Fox's pledge to maintain Britain's ability to wage war unilaterally, cooperate with France while snubbing the EU's defence agency, cutting Whitehall staff and reforming wasteful procurement (again) does not sound like tough realism, especially when combined with Cameron's gimmicky "war cabinet" and national security adviser approach.

The Guardian - Opinion

Hard as it is to imagine, revolutionary Iran continued to cooperate with Israel during much of the 1980s and 1990s despite the mutually bellicose rhetoric out of Tehran and Tel Aviv.

The Guardian

On Thursday, a Barclays spokesman said: "Barclays works closely with its regulators in all jurisdictions and will continue to cooperate with the New York attorney general.

The Guardian - Business

There was an impulse towards supra-nationalism in the shape of membership in the European Union, where countries that had fought each other for centuries – notably France and Germany – agreed to cooperate in the new world of superpower blocs.

The Guardian

The one wedge that opens clear light between the two opposition leaders is their stated willingness to cooperate in an effort to defeat Harper.

The Guardian

"We will continue to cooperate fully with [the commission] and look forward to a successful resolution of the process," it said.

The Guardian - Business

Dzhemilev said the Mejlis was split on whether to refuse to cooperate with the new government, but he thought it would have to compromise.

The Guardian

Detectives suspect that the farm, owned by local businessman John Fowler, could be where the robbers initially took the depot manager Colin Dixon and his wife and son, whom they kidnapped in order to force him to cooperate.

The Guardian

Zaragoza had said in a statement that it had "no knowledge of any circumstances connected to the investigation" but that it would "cooperate with any requests" made by the prosecutor.

The Guardian - Sport

He will cooperate in full with the standards commissioner's investigation".

The Guardian

Zuley, through a spokesperson, declined to cooperate with the Guardian's investigation, despite multiple requests.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "cooperate", ensure the context clearly indicates who is cooperating and for what purpose. This clarity enhances the effectiveness of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "cooperate" when the situation requires more than just willingness to work together; ensure the commitment level aligns with the intended action.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "cooperate" is as an intransitive verb, indicating an action performed by a subject working jointly with others. Ludwig examples show it used when describing agreements between entities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "cooperate" is a versatile verb primarily used to describe working together towards a common goal. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and widely used. Examples from news and business contexts, as highlighted by Ludwig, show its relevance in formal settings. It's crucial to ensure clarity regarding who is cooperating and for what purpose, while being mindful of the level of commitment implied. Alternatives include ""work together"" or ""collaborate"". The best practice is to use "cooperate" when you want to express willingness to engage in the combined effort of achieving something, or to show that others do it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

work together

Emphasizes the joint effort in achieving a common goal.

collaborate

Highlights a mutual contribution towards a shared objective.

join forces

Suggests uniting to increase strength or effectiveness.

act in concert

Implies a coordinated and harmonious action.

make common cause

Signifies uniting for a shared purpose, often against opposition.

pull together

Stresses the necessity of unified effort in difficult situations.

form an alliance

Highlights the creation of a structured partnership for mutual benefit.

coordinate efforts

Underscores the alignment of activities to avoid duplication and maximize efficiency.

unite

Signifies the act of joining together for a common objective.

affiliate

Suggests associating or connecting with another for mutual support or action.

FAQs

How can I use "cooperate" in a sentence?

You can use "cooperate" to describe working together towards a common goal, such as: "The companies agreed to "work together" to develop the new technology."

What are some alternatives to "cooperate"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "collaborate", "join forces", or "work together".

Is it grammatically correct to say "cooperate with each other"?

While not strictly incorrect, it can be redundant. "Cooperate" inherently implies working with others, so saying "cooperate with" is usually sufficient.

What's the difference between "cooperate" and "collaborate"?

"Cooperate" generally means to work together, while "collaborate" often implies a more involved and coordinated effort with shared creation or development.