What does "mutual" mean?

1. (shared feelings or actions) used to describe a feeling or action that two people have for each other. 2. (shared friends or interests) shared by two or more people, like a friend you both know. 3. (owned by members) owned by the people who use the service, rather than by outside shareholders. 4. (social media connection) someone on social media who follows you, and you follow them back. 5. (financial institution) a company, like a bank or insurance firm, owned by its members.

mutual

adj. · n.

US //ˈmjutʃuəɫ// UK //mjˈuːtʃuːəl// mu·tu·al

1 shared feelings or actions (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

used to describe a feeling or action that two people have for each other.

denoting a feeling, action, or relationship that is reciprocal between two or more parties.

Example

The two companies ended the partnership by mutual agreement.

Example

The respect between the two rival scientists was mutual, despite their long-standing disagreements over experimental methodology.
- reciprocal
- returned
- one sided
- unrequited
2 shared friends or interests (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

shared by two or more people, like a friend you both know.

held in common by two or more parties; frequently used in the collocation 'mutual friend'.

Example

We met at a party through a mutual friend from university.

Example

The investigation revealed that the two suspects had several mutual acquaintances in the local shipping industry.
- common
- shared
- individual
- private

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3 owned by members (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

owned by the people who use the service, rather than by outside shareholders.

relating to a financial institution or insurance company owned by its members or policyholders rather than by outside shareholders.

Example

A mutual insurance company is owned by the people it insures.

Example

The building society voted to remain a mutual organisation rather than converting into a public limited company.
- collective
- cooperative
- proprietary
4 social media connection (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang Computing

someone on social media who follows you, and you follow them back.

a person with whom one has a reciprocal following relationship on a social media platform.

Example

I saw one of my mutuals posted about the concert last night.

Example

The artist often interacts with their mutuals on the platform to build a stronger sense of community among fellow creators.
- mutual follower
5 financial institution (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Formal Law

a company, like a bank or insurance firm, owned by its members.

a mutual organisation, such as a building society or insurance company.

Example

Many small banks in the region are still run as mutuals.

Example

The regulatory framework for mutuals differs significantly from that governing traditional commercial banks with external investors.
- cooperative

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French mutuel, from Latin mūtuus.

Word family

Adjectivemutual
Adverbmutually

Idioms1 entry

01
mutual admiration society
A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely express considerable esteem and support for one another, sometimes to the point of exaggeration or pretense.