coopt

UK: /kəʊˈɒpt/ US: (kō opt′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

co•opt  (kō opt′), v.t. 

1. to elect into a body by the votes of the existing members.
2. to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group:
   The fledgling Labor party was coopted by the Socialist party.
3. to appropriate as one's own; preempt:
   The dissidents have coopted the title of her novel for their slogan.

Also, co-opt′. 

• Latin cooptāre. See co-, opt
• 1645–55

co′op•ta′tion, co′-op•ta′tion, co•op•tion, co-op′tion  (kō op′shən), n.  co•op•ta•tive, co-op•ta•tive  (kō op′tə tiv), co•op′tive, co-op′tive, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

coopt, co-opt / kəʊˈɒpt/ verb (transitive)

1. to add (someone) to a committee, board, etc, by the agreement of the existing members

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin cooptāre to elect, from optāre to choose

coˈoption, co-ˈoption, ˌcoopˈtation, ˌco-opˈtation noun

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

co-opt /koʊˈɑpt/   v. [~ + object]

1. to elect as a member:
   They co-opted him for the board.
2. to take as one's own;
   preempt:
   The party co-opted the small group as part of its larger organization.

See -opt-.