copacetic
(US, slang) Fine, excellent, OK, in excellent order.
kəʊ.pəˈsɛt.ɪkDocumented since 1910s1910sSilenthistoricalCurrent131 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1919 · 1 year of recorded use20th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 26, 2026
(US, slang) Fine, excellent, OK, in excellent order.
Origin: Stephen Goranson says "there is good reason to think that Irving Bacheller invented the word [with the spelling copasetic] for a fictional character with a private vocabulary in his best-selling and later-serialized 1919 book about Abraham Lincoln in Illinois, A Man for the Ages", and its currency increased by use in the 1920 song "At the New Jump Steady Ball" (see quotation below). Alternatively, it has been speculated that it may have originated among African Americans in the Southern US in the late 19th or early 20th century, perhaps specifically in the jargon of Bill "Bojangles" Robinso. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Heard in the wild
“Got a little bored today. Set about making a table leg using a curtain pole. The unit is a tad unstable when chopping potatoes. Not anymore! Then polished the Douglas Special for Retro Rides on Sunday. He'll be on the Copacetic stand with @denialvibes.bsky.social”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Other words near "copacetic" (C)
Cooter Browncoothcootiecootie catchercootycoozecop and blowcop a pleacopaymentcop-callcop-callercop-calling
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