Cooperation
/ˌkoʊ.əˈpɛr.eɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of working together toward a shared goal.
Did you know?Its core comes from Latin *operari*, “to work,” which is also behind words like *operate* and *opus*—a reminder that language treats effort like a kind of ritual labor.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cooperari
“to work together”
Late Latin
Latin
cooperatio
“a working together, joint action”
Old French
Old French
cooperation
“cooperation, joint working”
14th–15th Century
English
cooperation
“joint action or working together”
Modern English
English
cooperation
“the act of working together toward a shared goal”
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