[v] choose or elect as a fellow member or colleague; "The church members co-opted individuals from similar backgrounds to replenish the congregation"
[v] take or assume for one's own use; "He co-opted the criticism and embraced it"
[v] appoint summarily or commandeer
[v] neutralize or win over through assimilation into an established group; "We co-opted the independent minority tribes by pulling them into the Northern Alliance"