Coordination

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəʊˌɔːdɪˈneɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The harmonious functioning of muscles, senses, or activities working together smoothly and efficiently
2. The ability to organize and manage multiple elements or actions so they work together effectively and harmoniously
3. The process of aligning and synchronizing movements or tasks to achieve a common goal or optimal performance

Etymology: The word "coordination" is built from "co-" meaning "together" and "ordination," the act of arranging things in order, which itself comes from the Latin "ordo," meaning a row, rank, or series. The Latin root "ordinare" meant to set in order or arrange, so the core idea was always one of putting things into their proper places relative to each other. It passed into English through Middle French, which had taken it from Late Latin "coordinatio." The Latin form was built by adding "con-" (with) to "ordinatio," a noun from the verb "ordinare." The English word therefore carries a double sense of working together and arranging into order, and this combination is why it could be applied to both people acting in concert and to the arrangement of parts in a system.

Synonyms: organization, synchronization, harmonization, collaboration, integration

Antonyms: disorganization, confusion, disarray, chaos, discord