Meaning & use
jointly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
Together as a pair or group, so that all take part in doing, owning or being responsible for something.
Grammar: Usually placed before or after the verb: jointly owned, announced jointly.
Patterns
- jointly own/run/fund something
- jointly with someone
- jointly owned/managed/funded
The two schools jointly organized the science fair.
They jointly own a small bakery on Main Street.
The report was jointly written by three authors.
adverbnot comparablelegalfinance
In law and finance, in a way that makes each person equally responsible or entitled for the whole of a debt, account or right.
Grammar: Common legal phrase: jointly and severally liable.
Patterns
- jointly and severally liable
- jointly held account
The couple holds the mortgage jointly.
The partners are jointly liable for the company's debts.
Funds in the account are held jointly by both spouses.
Common combinations
- jointly owned
- The vacation house is jointly owned by three cousins.
- jointly announce
- The companies jointly announced a merger.
- jointly responsible
- Both parents are jointly responsible for the child.
- jointly funded
- The project is jointly funded by two governments.
- jointly and severally
- The guarantors are jointly and severally liable for repayment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- together
- Together is the everyday word, while jointly sounds more formal and stresses shared responsibility or ownership.
- collectively
- Collectively refers to a group acting as a whole and works for large groups, while jointly is mostly for two or a few people.
- cooperatively
- Cooperatively stresses working in harmony, whereas jointly only says that people share the action.
- in common
- In common indicates sharing a feature or interest and is not used for ownership or responsibility the way jointly is.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Choose the best word: 'The sisters ___ inherited the house, so neither can sell it alone.'
Choose one answer.
Jointly means together and shared, which explains why neither can sell alone. Separately would mean each has their own part, and the other words do not fit the logic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jointly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.