n. 1. a. The act of coordinating. b. The state of being coordinate; harmonious adjustment or interaction. 2. Physiology Harmonious functioning of muscles or groups of muscles in the execution of movements. 3. Grammar The linking of two syntactically equal units, as by a coordinate conjunction. [French, from Medieval Latin coōrdinātiō, coōrdinātiōn- : co-, co- + Latin ōrdinātiō, arrangement (from ōrdinātus, past participle of ōrdināre, to arrange in order, from ōrdō, ōrdin-, order; see ar- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.