Meaning & use
co-captain
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
One of two people who share the leadership of a team or ship.
Grammar: Countable: she is a co-captain, the two co-captains.
Patterns
- co-captain of something
- co-captain with someone
Maria and Jo were chosen as co-captains of the volleyball team.
As co-captain, he gave the pre-game speech.
The co-captains met the referee before kickoff.
verbtransitiveinformal
To lead a team jointly with someone else.
Grammar: Takes an object: they co-captain the squad.
Patterns
- co-captain something with someone
She co-captained the hockey team with her best friend.
He will co-captain the debate club this year.
The two seniors co-captain the track team.
Word forms
| plural | co-captains |
|---|---|
| past | co-captained |
| -ing form | co-captaining |
Common combinations
- elected co-captain
- She was elected co-captain by her teammates.
- serve as co-captain
- He served as co-captain during the championship season.
- co-captain of the team
- The co-captain of the team led the warm-up.
- fellow co-captain
- His fellow co-captain organized the fundraiser.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vice-captain
- A vice-captain ranks below the captain, but a co-captain shares equal status.
- joint leader
- Joint leader is wider and works outside sports, while co-captain fits teams and crews.
- team leader
- Team leader is general and may refer to one person rather than a pair.
Word family
- captain noun
- the leader of a team or ship
- captaincy noun
- the position of captain
- co-captaincy noun
- shared captain role
Commonly confused: co-captain or vice-captain?
co-captain vs vice-captain
A vice-captain steps in when the captain is absent, while co-captains hold equal authority.
Practice
What is true of a co-captain?
Choose one answer.
Co-captains share leadership equally. The other options describe unrelated roles.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “co-captain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.