Definition

To take or adopt something for one's own use, often without permission or in a way that is not fully transparent.

Example

The committee decided to coopt some of the ideas from the community meeting into their final report.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you hear how they plan to coopt the community event this year?

Yeah, I saw the announcement about it!

It's kind of surprising, don't you think?

Definitely! I hope they don't change it too much.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Coopt is formed from "co-" (meaning together) and "optare" (meaning to choose). The word describes the act of choosing someone to join a group or organization, often by existing members.

Memory Tip

Think of people 'choosing' ('optare') someone 'together' ('co-') to join their group.

Visually Confused Words