cooperative
UK[kəʊˈɒpərətɪv]US[koʊˈɑːpərətɪv]
adj
Involving mutual assistance in working towards a common goal.
adj
Willing to be helpful by doing what someone asks.
n
A farm, business, or other organization owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits.
Morpheme Breakdown
co
operat
ive
co
together
operat
work
ive
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'cooperative' is built upon the Latin verb operari, meaning "to work," which itself derives from the noun opus (work, labor). The prefix co-, a form of com-, signifies "together." Combined, they form the core concept of "working together." The suffix -ive was added to create an adjective describing the quality or tendency of such joint effort. Thus, the literal morphemic logic—"tending to work together"—perfectly captures the modern abstract meanings of mutual assistance and shared enterprise, evolving from a simple description of collective labor to encompass social, economic, and behavioral dimensions.
Analysis
Structure: co (together) + operat (work) + ive (adjective suffix)
- co: Latin prefix meaning "together, with, jointly."
- operat: From Latin operatus, the past participle stem of operari meaning "to work."
- ive: Latin suffix -ivus, forming adjectives meaning "tending to, having the nature of."
Examples
The project was a success thanks to the cooperative efforts of the entire team.
She was very cooperative and answered all the investigator's questions.
They buy their groceries from a local food cooperative.