Browse Definitions :

Coopted or co-opted?

Writing for Business

Which is correct?
If you believe your computer has been __________ into a botnet, call your system administrator.
a. co-opted
b. coopted

Answer: Either, depending on the style you follow.

Explanation:
AP style is to omit the hyphen, but other sources like to hyphenate co, especially when it’s followed by a second o.

I prefer a hyphen in this one, myself, because coopt looks like an odd word and makes me think it should be pronounced like cooped. But since I’ve solemnly sworn to follow AP in my work writing, I guess I’ve got to do without.

 Follow us on Twitter @tao_of_grammar

Dig Deeper on Writing for Business

Networking
  • telecommunications (telecom)

    Telecommunications, also known as telecom, is the exchange of information over significant distances by electronic means and ...

  • remote infrastructure management

    Remote infrastructure management, or RIM, is a comprehensive approach to handling and overseeing an organization's IT ...

  • port address translation (PAT)

    Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 ...

Security
  • ISO 31000 Risk Management

    The ISO 31000 Risk Management framework is an international standard that provides organizations with guidelines and principles ...

  • voice squatting

    Voice squatting is an attack vector for voice user interfaces, or VUIs, that exploits homonyms -- words that sound the same, but ...

  • multifactor authentication

    Multifactor authentication (MFA) is an account login process that requires multiple methods of authentication from independent ...

CIO
  • skunkworks project (Skunk Works)

    A skunkworks project, also known as Skunk Works, is an innovative undertaking, involving a small group of people, that is outside...

  • digital innovation

    Digital innovation is the adoption of modern digital technologies by a business.

  • business goals

    A business goal is an endpoint, accomplishment or target an organization wants to achieve in the short term or long term.

HRSoftware
  • employee onboarding and offboarding

    Employee onboarding involves all the steps needed to get a new employee successfully deployed and productive, while offboarding ...

  • skill-based learning

    Skill-based learning develops students through hands-on practice and real-world application.

  • gamification

    Gamification is a strategy that integrates entertaining and immersive gaming elements into nongame contexts to enhance engagement...

Customer Experience
  • virtual assistant (AI assistant)

    A virtual assistant, also called an AI assistant or digital assistant, is an application program that understands natural ...

  • Microsoft Dynamics 365

    Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based portfolio of business applications from Microsoft that are designed to help organizations improve ...

  • Salesforce Commerce Cloud

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based suite of products that enable e-commerce businesses to set up e-commerce sites, drive ...

Close