1. appoint to membership of a committee or other body by invitation of the existing members: "the committee may co-opt additional members for special purposes"
▪ divert to or use in a role different from the usual or original one: "social scientists were co-opted to work with the development agencies"
▪ adopt (an idea or policy) for one's own use:"the green parties have had most of their ideas co-opted by bigger parties"
Word Originmid 17th century: from Latin cooptare, from co- ‘together’ + optare ‘choose’.
