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View synonyms for team player

team player

noun

  1. a person who willingly works in cooperation with others.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of team player1

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90
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Example Sentences

Alongside his individual success, Nadal has starred as a team player - winning four Davis Cup titles with Spain.

From BBC

She’s become more of a “team player,” putting herself fully behind the centrist presidential ticket, campaigning with swing-district Democrats with off-the-scale Blue Dog names like Pat Ryan.

From Slate

In fact, he isn’t even the only former French national team player who was a little unclear on the idea.

When he refused to do so, he said was derided by another manager for not being a “team player,” demoted and denied other work opportunities despite prior positive performance reviews, the lawsuit states.

The author of 2006’s “My Secret Life on the McJob,” which chronicled his undercover work in fast food, said that those employees learn about the importance of reliability, working under pressure and being a team player — bedrock principles of any blue-collar job.

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More About Team Player

What is a team player?

A team player is someone who cooperates and works well with others, as in We need everyone on our side to be a team player in this tug-of-war game if we’re going to win.

Team player began as a sports phrase describing a player on a team who works and plays well with their teammates to win competitions. To be a team player in basketball, for example, a player would need to be willing to pass the ball to teammates who are in a position to throw the ball into the net. Even though the person passing the ball doesn’t actually score, they are helping their team to score, being a good team player.

Team player is often used figuratively to describe someone working for the benefit of everyone involved. For example, an employee who voluntarily helps a new coworker learn the company’s software might be called a team player. The employee is taking time away from their work to help someone else get started in their own work. The effort might not get the employee’s tasks done, but it will help the company as a whole get its tasks done.

In politics, when someone is referred to as a team player, it often means they are willing to work with politicians from parties other than their own to support the people they represent. 

Example: We need someone who will be a team player, listening to what each member of the organization has to say.

Where does team player come from?

The first records of the term team player come from around the 1880s. It’s an Americanism that combines the terms team and player.

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with team player

What are some words that often get used in discussing team player?

How is team player used in real life?

Team player can be used to describe anyone who works in cooperation with others, whether they’re on a formal team or not.

 

Try using team player!

Is team player used correctly in the following sentence?

“The senator’s staff are team players who will work with the staff of senators from other political parties in order to pass laws that help everyone.”

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