mutually
Americanadverb
Other Word 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.
Every moment, whether dominated by a “Halloween”-inspired ghoul or the grammar-correcting banter of mutually exasperated colleagues, is played straight and for all their initial nods to trope, every character is uniquely and thoroughly human.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
"We believe there is a mutually beneficial deal for Canada and the United States," the prime minister told reporters in the western city of Calgary, where he was hosting Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
"The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis - economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Iranian business activity has deep, mutually lucrative roots in the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates and continues to thrive despite the American warnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 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.
