Meaning & use
mutually exclusive
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Describing two or more things that cannot both be true, happen, or exist at the same time.
Grammar: Used after 'be' or before a noun: the options are mutually exclusive; mutually exclusive options.
Patterns
- be mutually exclusive
- mutually exclusive with something
- mutually exclusive options
In this game, winning and losing are mutually exclusive outcomes.
The two theories are mutually exclusive, so only one can be correct.
Being a vegetarian and eating steak are mutually exclusive.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
In logic and statistics, describing events that cannot occur together in the same trial.
Grammar: Often used in technical contexts: mutually exclusive events.
Patterns
- mutually exclusive events
- mutually exclusive categories
In probability, rolling a 1 and rolling a 2 are mutually exclusive events.
The survey used mutually exclusive categories so each answer fit only one box.
Common combinations
- mutually exclusive with
- The new policy is mutually exclusive with the old one, so they cannot both apply.
- mutually exclusive options
- The menu offers mutually exclusive options: you can have soup or salad, not both.
- mutually exclusive events
- The teacher explained that mutually exclusive events cannot happen at the same time.
- not mutually exclusive
- Being smart and being kind are not mutually exclusive; you can be both.
Synonyms and how they differ
- incompatible
- This means unable to exist or work together, which is broader; 'mutually exclusive' specifically means they cannot both be true or chosen at once.
- contradictory
- This means directly opposite or inconsistent, often about statements; 'mutually exclusive' is about options or events that rule each other out.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: mutually exclusive or mutual?
mutually exclusive vs mutual
Mutual means shared or reciprocal, while mutually exclusive means they cannot coexist.
Practice
You can either take the bus or walk, but not both; the choices are ______.
Choose one answer.
'Mutually exclusive' means the two options cannot both be chosen. 'Mutually inclusive' is not a standard phrase, 'mutual' alone means shared, and 'exclusive' alone means restricted or not shared, so it does not fit the idea of ruling each other out.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mutually exclusive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.