mutually exclusive

American  

[myoo-choo-uh-lee ik-skloo-siv, -ziv] / ˈmyu tʃu ə li ɪkˈsklu sɪv, -zɪv /

adjective

1. of or relating to a situation involving two or more events, possibilities, etc., in which the occurrence of one precludes the occurrence of the other.

   mutually exclusive plans of action.

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Usage

What does mutually exclusive mean? Describing two things as mutually exclusive means that they can’t both exist, be true, or happen at the same time. In most cases, the phrase implies that one of the things prevents the other from happening or being true, or that both things prevent each other from happening or being true. Mutually exclusive is often used in negative constructions about things that are said to be not mutually exclusive—meaning they can both happen or be true at the same time. Example: Kindness and a good business sense are not mutually exclusive—it’s possible to be financially successful without being a jerk.

Etymology

Origin of mutually exclusive

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Prudence and upholding the law aren’t mutually exclusive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

They’re different concepts and can be mutually exclusive, although not always.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 20, 2025

None of these responses were mutually exclusive but they differed in tone, and perhaps point to a tension between denouncing Reform as not serious - or as all too serious.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

These theories, which aren’t mutually exclusive, all predate COVID-19 and offer plausible explanations for the growing U.S. mortality disadvantage.

From Slate • Aug. 20, 2025

The probability of obtaining exactly one 4 among the three dice is likewise determined by breaking the event into the three mutually exclusive ways it can happen.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos