Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun co-option

2 senses of co-option

Sense 1
co-option, co-optation -- (the selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership))
       => election -- (the act of selecting someone or something; the exercise of deliberate choice; "her election of medicine as a profession")

Sense 2
co-option, co-optation -- (the act of appointing summarily (with or without the appointee's consent))
       => appointment, assignment, designation, naming -- (the act of putting a person into a non-elective position; "the appointment had to be approved by the whole committee")