jointly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of jointly
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at joint, -ly
Explanation
When more than one person or group works on something together, they do it jointly. A jointly researched and written term paper should have both the authors' names on the first page. If you and your best friend buy a car together, you do it jointly, and if your whole family chips in to fund your cousin's trip to India, you contribute jointly. You might hear that your favorite radio program is jointly supported by a few local businesses, or read in a poetry magazine that it's jointly edited by two people. Earlier, the preferred word was joinly, though jointly comes from joint and its sense of connection.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The biggest news from the rules, issued last week, is that the Treasury Department is letting married couples filing jointly claim a $3,400 credit for their donations to scholarship organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The executives jointly report to Ellison and Kreiz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
For married couples filing jointly, Social Security benefits generally aren’t taxable if combined income is under $32,000.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
It added the decision to withdraw had been made jointly by the player and management and that they would discuss Xhaka's future with the team after the international window.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
But the important thing is that for today, they are granted, jointly, the guardianship, which is on track to not be temporary, of a person named Willow Chance.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
