Team player
n.kind, capableeveryday
What it means
A person who cooperates reliably and contributes to a group's shared success.
Reach for it when praising collaborative conduct without denying individual skill or judgment
Mara proved a team player by sharing the client insight and helping a colleague present it.
Choose between these
6- playful
all-in teammate
when enthusiastic commitment suits an informal tribute
not when All-in may celebrate overwork or uncritical agreement.
- warm
good colleague
when dependable workplace support should sound personal
not when Good colleague is broad praise and may rest on friendliness alone.
- warm
supportive partner
when backing others is more visible than personal achievement
not when Supportive partner can imply a two-person relationship rather than membership in a larger team.
- professional
collaborator
when joint creation or problem-solving is the substance of the role
not when Collaborator can describe a temporary partnership rather than a consistently cooperative colleague.
- professional
contributor
when useful input matters more than interpersonal style
not when A strong contributor can still hoard credit or resist team decisions.
- formal
cooperator
when willingness to coordinate is the exact claim
not when Cooperator sounds mechanical and says little about initiative.
Said against
3- soloist
- credit hog
- obstructionist
It naturally appears in
3- real team player
A real team player, he documented the fix for the next shift.
- strong team player
The strong team player asked where her expertise would help most.
- be a team player
To be a team player, Dana challenged the plan privately and supported the final decision publicly.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: a person who works well as a member of a team opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.