each other

American  

pronoun

1. each the other; one another (used as a compound reciprocal pronoun).

   to strike at each other; to hold each other's hands; to love each other.

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each other British  

pronoun

1. used when the action, attribution, etc, is reciprocal

   furious with each other

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each other Idioms  

1. Also, one another. Each one the other, one the other, as in The boys like each other, or The birds were fighting one another over the crumbs. Both of these phrases indicate a reciprocal relationship or action between the subjects preceding (the boys, the birds). Formerly, many authorities held that each other should be confined to a relationship between two subjects only and one another used when there are more than two. Today most do not subscribe to this distinction, which was never strictly observed anyway. [Late 1300s] Also see at each other's throats.

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Usage

Although some insist that each other be used only in reference to two ( The two candidates respected each other ) and one another in reference to three or more ( The three nations threaten one another ), in standard practice they are interchangeable. Each other is not restricted to two, nor is one another restricted to three or more. The possessive of each other is each other's; the possessive of one another is one another's.

Each other and one another are interchangeable in modern British usage

Etymology

Origin of each other

before 1000; Middle English; Old English. See each, other

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Compare meaning

How does each-other compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• each other vs. one another

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

each other

Mars and Jupiter will appear to be very close to each other in the sky on the 15 and 16 November.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026

Any introduction to another animal would be done very carefully – perhaps giving them an object that smells of the other before they see each other.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026

"People all know each other, everyone works in energy ... that's why people put their soul into it," said the director.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

The Microsoft outage mirrors problems that hit Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services a year ago, roiling the systems that individuals and businesses use to communicate with each other.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

From now on, we could always find each other at the Legendary Frybread Drive-In.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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Related Words

• one

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