mutualism

American  

[myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm] / ˈmyu tʃu əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. a relationship between two species of organisms in which both benefit from the association.

2. the doctrine that the interdependence of social elements is the primary determinant of individual and social relations, especially the theory that common ownership of property, or collective effort and control governed by sentiments of brotherhood and mutual aid, will be beneficial to both the individual and society.

3. Sociology. the force or principle of mutual aid.

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mutualism British  

/ ˈmjuːtʃʊəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. another name for symbiosis

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mutualism Scientific  

/ myo̅o̅′cho̅o̅-ə-lĭz′əm /

1. A relationship between two organisms in which each of the organisms benefits.

2. ◆ In obligate mutualism the interacting species are interdependent and cannot survive without each other. The fungi and algae that combine to form lichen are obligate mutualists.

3. ◆ In the more common facultative mutualism the interacting species derive benefit without being fully dependent. Many plants produce fruits that are eaten by birds, and the birds later excrete the seeds of these fruits far from the parent plant. While both species benefit, the birds have other food available to them, and the plants can disperse their seeds when the uneaten fruit drops.

4. Compare amensalism commensalism parasitism

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Other Word Forms

• mutualist noun
• mutualistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of mutualism

First recorded in 1860–65; mutual + -ism

Compare meaning

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

• mutualism vs. commensalism

Explanation

When two parties depend on one another — whether in a biological, social, or financial relationship — and both benefit from the alliance, that's mutualism. If you're a student who helps others and in return earns credits for a class, that's one example. The Latin mūtuus, meaning "reciprocal," gave the basis for the 15th Century Middle French word mutuel. In 1849, French Socialist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon coined the word mutualism to describe his financial theories. The new word was later applied to biological systems of interdependence. Sometimes mutualism is confused with symbiosis, but they are not the same, in part because in mutualism both parties gain from the relationship, while only one side has to benefit to be classified as symbiosis.

Example Sentences

"We suggest that the interaction likely represents an intermediate stage in the evolution of nursery pollination mutualism," says the Kobe University biologist.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2024

Thus, A. thunbergii might be an example of an unusual evolutionary process from deception to mutualism.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2024

Historically, mutualism may have been more widespread when people depended on foraging, hunting, and fishing for their food.

From National Geographic • Jan. 17, 2024

Technically, that’s mutualism, a subset of symbiosis in which both creatures get something from the deal.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2023

I have believed that the big, difficult and glorious thing in religion is mutualism, a spiritual genius for finding identities, for putting people's interests together-you-and-I-ness, and we-ness, letting people crowd in and help themselves.

From Crowds A Moving-Picture of Democracy by Lee, Gerald Stanley