coordinate

1 of 3

adjective

co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-nət How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
-ˈȯr-də-nət,
-də-ˌnāt
1
a
: equal in rank, quality, or significance
keeping the branches of government coordinate
b
: being of equal rank in a sentence
coordinate clauses
2
: relating to or marked by coordination
3
a
: being a university that awards degrees to men and women taught usually by the same faculty but attending separate classes often on separate campuses
b
: being one of the colleges and especially the women's branch of a coordinate university
4
: of, relating to, or being a system of indexing by two or more terms so that documents may be retrieved through the intersection of index terms
coordinately adverb
coordinateness noun

coordinate

2 of 3

verb

co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯr-də-ˌnāt How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
coordinated; coordinating

transitive verb

1
: to put in the same order or rank
2
: to bring into a common action, movement, or condition : harmonize
coordinate schedules
She'll be coordinating the relief effort.
3
: to attach so as to form a coordination complex

intransitive verb

1
: to be or become equal in rank, quality, or significance especially so as to act or work together well
2
: to combine by means of a coordinate bond
coordinative
kō-ˈȯrd-nə-tiv How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
-ˈȯr-də-nə-tiv
-də-ˌnā-
adjective

coordinate

3 of 3

noun

co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-nət How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
-ˈȯr-də-nət,
-də-ˌnāt
1
a
: any of a set of numbers used in specifying the location of a point on a line, on a surface, or in space
latitude and longitude coordinates
b
: any one of a set of variables used in specifying the state of a substance or the motion of a particle or momentum
2
: one who is of equal rank, authority, or importance with another
3
coordinates plural : articles (as of clothing) designed to be used together and to attain their effect through pleasing contrast (as of color, material, or texture)

Examples of coordinate in a Sentence

Verb She'll be coordinating the relief effort. You'll have to coordinate with the sales department. National and international relief efforts must coordinate if the operation is to be successful. We need to coordinate our schedules. Dancers need to coordinate their moves. Since his illness, he has had trouble coordinating his arms and legs. Noun We calculated its exact coordinates. the Nobel Memorial Award for Economic Science is universally regarded as the coordinate of the original Nobel Prizes for peace, literature, medicine, physics, and chemistry
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The map was an attempt at a compromise between distorting the areas of continents and the angles of coordinate line. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 29 Nov. 2022 There exist a number of particularly useful coordinate choices for this space. Mark Trodden, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2012
Verb
Conversations typically revolve around daily responsibilities, such as coordinating schedules, managing household tasks or planning finances. Mark Travers, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 In each quad, the colors coordinate to build out soft or bold looks, and the shadows can be applied wet or dry. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
Each Kork piece is uniquely inspired by a Florida beach and stamped with its coordinates for a subtle design flare. The Editors, Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024 When a bear hunter came across what appeared to be a human skull near Sawtooth Berry Fields in Washington State on Sept. 4, the hunter reported the coordinates to local law enforcement. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coordinate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coordinate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

probably back-formation from coordination

First Known Use

Adjective

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1665, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of coordinate was in 1641

Dictionary Entries Near coordinate

Cite this Entry

“Coordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coordinate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

coordinate

1 of 3 adjective
co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-nət How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
-ᵊn-ət
1
: equal in rank
2
: being of equal rank in a compound sentence
coordinate clauses
coordinately adverb

coordinate

2 of 3 verb
co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
coordinated; coordinating
1
: to make or become coordinate
2
: to work or cause to work together smoothly
coordinator noun

coordinate

3 of 3 noun
co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-nət How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
-ᵊn-ət
1
: one that is coordinate with another
2
: any of a set of numbers used to locate a point on a line or surface or in space

Medical Definition

coordinate

verb
co·​or·​di·​nate kō-ˈȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce coordinate (audio)
coordinated; coordinating

transitive verb

: to bring into a common action, movement, or condition
coordinate muscular movements

intransitive verb

: to function together in a concerted way

More from Merriam-Webster on coordinate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!