mutual
B2Formal to neutral. Common in academic, business, legal, and everyday relational contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A feeling or action experienced or done by two or more parties towards each other; shared in common.
Can describe a reciprocal relationship, a shared characteristic between entities, or something jointly held or experienced. In finance, refers to a company owned by its members (e.g., mutual fund, mutual insurance).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used to emphasize reciprocity in feelings (mutual respect) or to denote a commonality between parties (mutual friend). Some prescriptivists historically objected to its use for 'common to both' (e.g., 'a mutual friend') rather than strictly 'reciprocal,' but this usage is now universally accepted.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or grammar. The term 'mutual' in financial contexts (mutual fund) is slightly more frequent in American English, but fully understood in both.
Connotations
Identical. Connotes reciprocity, shared benefit, and commonality.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
mutual + abstract noun (respect, trust)mutual + between/among + partiesbe mutual (The feeling was mutual.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “mutual admiration society (often ironic)”
- “by mutual consent”
- “the feeling is mutual”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contracts and partnerships: 'The deal was terminated by mutual agreement.'
Academic
Describes reciprocal social or economic relationships in sociology/economics.
Everyday
Commonly describes friendships or feelings: 'We have a mutual friend from university.' 'Our dislike for the new policy was mutual.'
Technical
In finance: 'He invested in a diversified mutual fund.' In law: 'The contract was dissolved through mutual rescission.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'mutual' is not a verb.
American English
- N/A - 'mutual' is not a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A - The adverb is 'mutually'. Example: They are mutually dependent.
American English
- N/A - The adverb is 'mutually'. Example: The terms were mutually agreed upon.
adjective
British English
- Their mutual respect made the partnership work.
- He's a mutual friend of ours.
- The decision was made for our mutual advantage.
American English
- We reached a mutual agreement to part ways.
- They belong to a mutual aid society.
- The feeling of distrust was entirely mutual.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- They are mutual friends.
- We have mutual interests.
- The agreement was for our mutual benefit.
- They felt a mutual attraction.
- The contract was annulled by mutual consent of both parties.
- Their relationship is based on mutual trust and understanding.
- The two nations acted out of mutual self-interest, despite their ideological differences.
- The study explores the mutual interdependence of the ecosystem's components.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'MUTUAL' as 'YOU TOO, ALL' – it involves you and another person/group both sharing the same thing.
Conceptual Metaphor
RELATIONSHIP IS A TWO-WAY STREET (mutuality emphasizes the bidirectional flow).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from Russian 'взаимный' for physical objects; it's for abstract concepts (respect, benefit). Don't use for 'common' as in 'ordinary' (общий). 'Mutual fund' is паевой инвестиционный фонд (ПИФ), not 'общий фонд'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'mutual' for a one-sided action (incorrect: *His mutual hatred for her. Correct: His hatred for her was not mutual). Overusing where 'common' is simpler (e.g., 'our mutual hometown' is less common than 'our hometown').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'mutual' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is a standard and accepted use, meaning 'a friend shared by two or more people.'
'Mutual' strongly implies a reciprocal relationship or a shared feeling/action between specific parties. 'Common' is broader, meaning 'occurring often' or 'shared by many.' A 'mutual friend' is a friend you and I both know. A 'common problem' is a problem many people have.
Yes, it can refer to something shared or reciprocal among any number of parties (e.g., 'mutual respect among all team members').
It is primarily an adjective. The adverb form is 'mutually' (e.g., 'mutually exclusive').
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