Meaning & use
coaction
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Meaning
noununcountableformal
The process of two or more people, groups, or forces acting together to produce a result.
Grammar: Uncountable; no plural. Often used with 'of' or 'between'.
Patterns
- coaction of something
- coaction between people
- in coaction with someone
The success of the project depended on the coaction of several government departments.
Ecologists study the coaction of predators and prey in a shared habitat.
The coaction between the two teams led to a faster solution.
Common combinations
- coaction of forces
- The coaction of market forces and regulation shaped the outcome.
- in coaction with
- The agency acted in coaction with local charities.
- social coaction
- Social coaction can achieve what individuals cannot.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cooperation
- The everyday word; 'coaction' is more formal and often used in scientific or sociological writing.
- collaboration
- Focuses on working together on a shared task, while coaction stresses the combined effect of actions.
Opposites
Word family
- coact verb
- To act together; rare and formal.
- coactive adjective
- Involving joint action.
Commonly confused: coaction or coercion?
coaction vs coercion
Coercion means forcing someone to do something; coaction means acting together voluntarily.
Practice
The new policy was the result of ______ between the mayor and the city council.
Choose one answer.
'Coaction' fits because it means acting together. 'Coercion' means forcing, which is not the case here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coaction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.