Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of appointing summarily (with or may be without the appointee's consent): The process of selecting and adding someone to a group, committee, or body, often by a decision of the existing members.
   • The selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership): The formal procedure of choosing and admitting a new member into an organization, typically through a vote by current members.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The board's co-optation of three new directors was completed during the annual meeting.
  • The committee voted on the co-optation of an external expert to advise on the project.

Advanced Usage

• Political/Sociological Context: In political science and sociology, "co-optation" can describe a strategy where a group in power assimilates or neutralizes potential opposition by bringing its members or leaders into the existing power structure.
  • The regime ensured stability through the co-optation of key opposition figures into the government.

Variants and Related Words

• Co-opt (verb): To appoint or elect as a member; to assimilate, take over, or use for one's own purposes.
  • The committee decided to co-opt her for her expertise in finance.
• Co-optative (adjective): Relating to or involving co-optation.
• Co-option (noun): An alternative spelling with the same meaning as "co-optation."

Synonyms

• Appointment: The act of assigning a job or role to someone.
• Assimilation: The process of absorbing and integrating people or ideas into a wider group or culture.
• Incorporation: The action of including something as part of a whole.

Related Phrases

• To be co-opted onto something: To be selected to join a group, often for a specific purpose.
  • She was co-opted onto the panel to provide a legal perspective.

Noun

1. the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent)
2. the selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership)