mutual decision

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A choice that two people or groups make together, with both sides agreeing to it.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a mutual decision or their mutual decision, and the plural is mutual decisions.

   Patterns

   • reach a mutual decision
   • a mutual decision between someone and someone
   • make a mutual decision

   After weeks of talks, the two companies announced a mutual decision to end the partnership.

   Moving to another city was a mutual decision, so neither of us blames the other.

   The couple described the split as a mutual decision and asked for privacy.

2. 2nouncountable

   An agreement reached by both sides giving up something so that a result suits everyone.

   Grammar: Often used with reach or arrive at, which stress the process before the agreement exists.

   Patterns

   • reach a mutual decision
   • come to a mutual decision

   Management and the union reached a mutual decision after a long night of bargaining.

   It took three meetings before the neighbors came to a mutual decision about the fence.

Word forms

Common combinations

reach a mutual decision

The board hopes to reach a mutual decision by Friday.

a mutual decision to do something

Their mutual decision to sell the house surprised everyone.

describe something as a mutual decision

Both sides described the breakup as a mutual decision.

a mutual decision between two parties

Any mutual decision between the two parties must be put in writing.

Synonyms and how they differ

joint decision

Very close, but joint often stresses that the decision is shared by several people or bodies rather than exactly two sides.

agreement

Focuses on the result — the state of agreeing — while a mutual decision focuses on the act of choosing together.

compromise

A compromise is a settlement in which each side gives something up; a mutual decision may be reached without anyone sacrificing anything.

Opposites

Word family

mutually adverb

In a way that is shared or felt by both sides, as in mutually agreed.

mutual adjective

Felt or done by each side toward the other, as in mutual respect.

mutuality noun

The quality of being shared or felt by both sides.

Commonly confused: mutual decision or common decision? mutual decision or unanimous decision?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “mutual decision”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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