mutually
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mutually
Explanation
When you do something in cooperation with another person, the two of you do it mutually. You and your sister might, for example, mutually decide to skip the family reunion. You can use the adverb mutually to describe an action or a connection that you share with someone. If you have a mutually competitive relationship with your best friend, it means that both of you feel a sense of rivalry. And when a decision is mutually beneficial to everyone in town, it helps every single person equally. The root word is the Latin mutuus, which means "reciprocal, or done in exchange."
Vocabulary lists containing mutually
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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Dear Martin
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The Treaty of Paris (1783)
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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.
"Our results show that genetic diagnostics and functional neuroscience are not mutually exclusive areas," says Weber.
From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026
Wenders said he would seek a "broad dialogue" with film institutions and groups, and only after reaching "a mutually agreed solution, which will include Nastassja Kinski, will we make the film available again".
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Having Saudi Arabia, a member of the G-20, join the Accords would bring into the fold the region’s largest economy and invite extensive security cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia in mutually beneficial ways.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
The three buyer options aren’t mutually exclusive and could be combined, the shareholder said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
He wasn’t too well himself after his first mild stroke, and Lelia and I, despite our discord, were mutually grateful that the woman had been taking good care of him.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
