Co-Opt
/ˌkoʊˈɑːpt/noun
To use or take over something for one's own purposes, especially by absorbing it into a group or system.
Did you know?In Roman usage, *cooptare* meant to choose someone alongside others into an office or body, so the word began as a formal act of inclusion before it came to mean strategic takeover.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cooptare
“to choose together; to elect or appoint as an associate”
Late Latin
Latin
cooptāre
“to choose or appoint in addition to others”
Middle English
English
coopten
“to choose or appoint jointly”
17th-18th Century
English
co-opt
“to elect or appoint as an additional member of a group”
Modern English
English
co-opt
“to absorb or take over for one's own purposes”