co-opt Meaning, Definition & Usage

1. verb choose or elect as a fellow member or colleague
   
   • The church members co-opted individuals from similar backgrounds to replenish the congregation
2. verb neutralize or win over through assimilation into an established group
   
   • We co-opted the independent minority tribes by pulling them into the Northern Alliance
3. verb appoint summarily or commandeer
   
   • The army tried to co-opt peasants into civil defence groups
4. verb take or assume for one's own use
   
   • He co-opted the criticism and embraced it

WordNet