mutually exclusive

[ myoo-choo-uh-lee ik-skloo-siv, -ziv ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to a situation involving two or more events, possibilities, etc., in which the occurrence of one precludes the occurrence of the other: mutually exclusive plans of action.

Origin of mutually exclusive

1
First recorded in 1870–75

Words Nearby mutually exclusive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mutually exclusive in a sentence

  • Now, these are only a few of the long list of your objections which are directly contradictory and mutually exclusive, my friend.

  • It is, of course, impossible to reconcile these mutually exclusive abstractions either in theory or in practice.

    The Behavior of Crowds | Everett Dean Martin
  • Some human activities and the activities and behavioral patterns of humpback whales may be mutually exclusive.

    Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska | United States Department of Commerce, Marine Mammal Commission
  • In discordant metaphysics, being and not being are irreconcilable and mutually exclusive contradictions.

  • The mere difference in complexity of mutually exclusive coordinate groups involves no relationship of superiority or inferiority.

    The Classification of Patents | United States Patent Office