To deal with difficulties or stressful situations in a reasonably successful way. It doesn’t mean fixing everything, just managing well enough to carry on.
From Old French *coper* 'to strike, cut', related to *coup* 'blow'. The meaning shifted in English from 'come to blows' to 'meet and handle a situation'.
To cope is not to win—it’s to stay afloat when life gets rough. People use all kinds of coping strategies, from talking to friends to distraction or exercise. Mental health language often prefers 'coping' to 'fixing,' because some problems can only be managed, not erased.
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