MUTUAL

reciprocal, mutual

(adjective) concerning each of two or more persons or things; especially given or done in return; “reciprocal aid”; “reciprocal trade”; “mutual respect”; “reciprocal privileges at other clubs”

common, mutual

(adjective) common to or shared by two or more parties; “a common friend”; “the mutual interests of management and labor”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

mutual (comparative more mutual, superlative most mutual)

Having the same relationship, each to each other.

Collective, done or held in common.

Reciprocal.

Possessed in common.

(Relating to a company, insurance or financial institution) Owned by the members.

Synonyms

• (done or held in common): mutual, shared; see also joint

• (reciprocal): reciprocative; see also reciprocal

Noun

mutual (plural mutuals)

A mutual fund.

(business, finance, insurance) A mutual organization.

(internet) Either of a pair of people who follow each other's social media accounts.

Anagrams

• umlaut

Source: Wiktionary

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Mu"tu*al, a. Etym: [F. mutuel, L. mutuus, orig., exchanged, borrowed, lent; akin to mutare to change. See Mutable.]

1. Reciprocally acting or related; reciprocally receiving and giving; reciprocally given and received; reciprocal; interchanged; as, a mutual love, advantage, assistance, aversion, etc. Conspiracy and mutual promise. Sir T. More. Happy in our mutual help, And mutual love. Milton. A certain shyness on such subjects, which was mutual between the sisters. G. Eliot.

2. Possessed, experienced, or done by two or more persons or things at the same time; common; joint; as, mutual happiness; a mutual effort. Burke. A vast accession of misery and woe from the mutual weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Bentley.

Note: This use of mutual as synonymous with common is inconsistent with the idea of interchange, or reciprocal relation, which properly belongs to it; but the word has been so used by many writers of high authority. The present tendency is toward a careful discrimination. Mutual, as Johnson will tell us, means something reciprocal, a giving and taking. How could people have mutual ancestors P. Harrison. Mutual insurance, agreement among a number of persons to insure each other against loss, as by fire, death, or accident.

– Mutual insurance company, one which does a business of insurance on the mutual principle, the policy holders sharing losses and profits pro rata.

Syn.

– Reciprocal; interchanged; common.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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