co-op

American

[koh-op, koh-op, koh-op] / ˈkoʊ ɒp, ˈkoʊ ɒp, koʊˈɒp /

noun

a cooperative store, dwelling, program, etc.

verb (used with object)

co-oped, co-opped, co-oping, co-opping

to place in a cooperative arrangement, especially to convert (an apartment or building) to a cooperative.

adjective

(of a game, especially a video game) cooperative, requiring players to work together to achieve a common objective: co-op multiplayer games.

co-op play modes;
co-op multiplayer games.

idioms

go co-op, to convert to a cooperative.

Our apartment building is going co-op.

Other Word Forms

co-oper noun

Etymology

Origin of co-op

First recorded in 1860–65; shortened form

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Property taxes in New York City are already sky-high, with co-op owners paying nearly $10,000 annually on average and condo owners paying around $15,000.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

He later turned recreation co-op REI into a business success story.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The co-op has around 50 line workers and fiber technicians.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Or made by the woman in your apartment building who has both a co-op volunteering shift and a single, long gray braid.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

Meanwhile he clerked in the co-op general store.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023