Each Other vs. One Another: Usage Guide
Some handbooks and textbooks recommend that each other be restricted to reference to two and one another to reference to three or more. The distinction, while neat, is not observed in actual usage. Each other and one another are used interchangeably by good writers and have been since at least the 16th century.
Word History
First Known Use
1526, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of one another was
in 1526
Dictionary Entries Near one another
Cite this Entry
“One another.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20another. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
one another
pron.
Used to indicate a reciprocal relationship or reciprocal actions among the members of the set referred to by the antecedent: The students help one another. The waiters followed one another into the room. See Usage Note at each other.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
one another
pron
the reflexive form of plural pronouns when the action, attribution, etc, is reciprocal: they kissed one another; knowing one another. Also: each other
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
each` oth′er
pron.
each the other; one another (used as a compound reciprocal pronoun): to love each other; to hold each other’s hands; to talk to each other.
[before 1000]
usage: Usage guides advise that each other be used only of two, and one another only of three or more or of an indefinite number. In standard practice, however, these expressions are used interchangeably, without distinction as to number.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
each other
– one another
1. uses
You use each other or one another to show that each member of a group does something to or for the other members. For example, if Simon likes Louise and Louise likes Simon, you say that Simon and Louise like each other or like one another. Each other and one another are sometimes called reciprocal pronouns.
Each other and one another are usually the direct or indirect object of a verb.
We help each other a lot.
They sent one another gifts from time to time.
You can also use them as the object of a preposition.
Pierre and Thierry were jealous of each other.
They didn’t dare to look at one another.
2. possessives
You can form possessives by adding ‘s to each other and one another.
I hope that you all enjoy each other’s company.
Apes spend a great deal of time grooming one another’s fur.
3. differences
There is very little difference in meaning between each other and one another. One another is fairly formal, and many people do not use it at all. Some people prefer to use each other when they are talking about two people or things, and one another when they are talking about more than two. However, most people do not make this distinction.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
Translations
بَعْضَهُم بَعْضا
hinanden
toisensa
egymás
hver/hvor annan
jeden druhého
birbir ine
one
(wan) noun
1. the number or figure 1. One and one is two (1 + 1 = 2).
2. the age of 1. Babies start to talk at one.
pronoun
1. a single person or thing. She’s the one I like the best; I’ll buy the red one.
2. anyone; any person. One can see the city from here.
adjective
1. 1 in number. one person; He took one book.
2. aged 1. The baby will be one tomorrow.
3. of the same opinion etc. We are one in our love of freedom.
one-
having one (of something). a one-legged man.
oneˈself pronoun
1. used as the object of a verb, the subject of which is one. One should wash oneself every morning.
2. used in emphasis. One always has to do these things oneself.
one-night ˈstand noun
(slang) a one-night sex partner; sexual intercourse with a one-night partner.
one-ˈoff noun, adjective
(something) made, intended etc for one occasion only. It’s just a one-off arrangement.
one-parent ˈfamily noun
(also single parent family) a family with only a mother or a father to look after the children.
one-ˈsided adjective
1. with one person or side having a great advantage over the other. a one-sided contest.
2. representing only one aspect of a subject. a one-sided discussion.
one-ˈway adjective
1. in which traffic can move in one direction only. a one-way street.
2. (especially American) valid for travel in one direction only. a one-way ticket.
one-year-old noun
a person or animal that is one year old.
adjective
(of a person, animal or thing) that is one year old.
all one
just the same. It’s all one to me what she does.
be one up on (a person)
to have an advantage over (someone). We brought out a book on this before our rivals so we’re one up on them.
not be oneself
to look or feel ill, anxious etc. I’d better go home – I’m not myself today.
one and all
all (of a group). This was agreed by one and all.
one another
used as the object of a verb when an action takes place between people etc. They hit one another.
one by one
(of a number of people, things etc) one after the other. He examined all the vases one by one.
one or two
a few. I don’t want a lot of nuts – I’ll just take one or two.
one of is followed by a plural noun or pronoun, but takes a singular verb: One of the girls works as a hairdresser ; One of them is ill .
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Pronoun[edit]
one another (possessive one another’s)
- (reciprocal pronoun) Used of a reciprocal relationship among a group of two or more people or things; compare each other.
-
The raw recruits helped one another get over the first few days.
-
Rainy days seemed to follow one another all summer.
-
2022 September 30, Ukraine makes NATO membership bid following Putin’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions[1], Al Jazeera, spoken by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 3:10 from the start:
-
It is here within the state borders of Ukraine that we can confirm the strength of the borders of all European countries. We can guarantee that nobody will dare to return tyranny to our continent. It is here that the values of our Eur-Atlantic community have been revived by a people that is fighting for freedom and with other nations that help us in the struggle. We are real allies with NATO. We have covered this road to NATO. And in actual fact, we have proven that we are compatible with the standards of the alliance. They are real on the battlefield in every aspect of our cooperation. We trust one another, we help one another, and we are protecting, defending one another and that is our alliance. This is an actual alliance.
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Usage notes[edit]
Some usage guides prescribe “each other” for two entities and “one another” for more than two; this distinction is not observed in practice. The Oxford English Dictionary describes the pronoun as referring to “two or more”; Fowler’s suggests that the distinction “is neither of present utility nor based on historical usage”. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage notes that “a few commentators believe the rule to be followed in ‘formal discourse’. This belief will not bear examination: Samuel Johnson’s discourse is perhaps the most formal that exists in English literature, and he has been cited in violation of the rule.”
Synonyms[edit]
- each other
Translations[edit]
idiomatic, reciprocal pronoun
- Arabic: please add this translation if you can
- Armenian: միմյանց (hy) (mimyancʿ), իրար (hy) (irar)
- Old Armenian: միմեանց (mimeancʿ), իրեար (irear)
- Azerbaijani: bir-biri
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 互相 (zh) (hùxiāng)
- Danish: hinanden, hverandre
- Dutch: elkaar (nl), elkander (nl)
- Finnish: toisensa (fi)
- French: l’un l’autre (fr) m, les uns les autres (fr) m pl
- German: einander (de), (reciprocal) gegenseitig (de), (following each other) aufeinander (de)
- Greek: αλλήλων (el) (allílon)
- Ancient: ἀλλήλων (allḗlōn)
- Hungarian: egymás (hu)
- Ido: l’una l’altra, l’una, l’altra
- Irish: a chéile
- Italian: vicendevolmente (it), a vicenda, l’un l’altro
- Japanese: お互いに (ja) (おたがいに, o-tagai ni)
- Khmer: គ្នា (km) (kniə), គ្នានឹងគ្នា (kniə nɨng kniə)
- Macedonian: еден на друг (eden na drug), меѓусебно (meǵusebno), заемно (zaemno)
- Malagasy: isika samy isika
- Malayalam: പരസ്പരം (ml) (parasparaṃ)
- Polish: nawzajem (pl)
- Portuguese: um ao outro m, se (pt)
- Romanian: unul pe altul
- Russian: (accusative, genitive) друг дру́га (ru) (drug drúga), (dative) друг дру́гу (ru) (drug drúgu), взаи́мно (ru) (vzaímno)
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: se
- Spanish: el uno al otro m
- Swedish: varandra (sv)
- Turkish: birbirine (tr), birbirini
- Uzbek: bir-biri (uz)
See also[edit]
- mutual
- reciprocal
- one after another
Словосочетания
Автоматический перевод
друг с другом, между собой, друг на друга, друг к другу, друг в друге, друг за другом, друг о друге, одна из другой
Перевод по словам
one — один, номер один, один, кто-то, единственный, единица, одиночка
another — другой, иной, подобный, еще один, отличный от, похожий
Примеры
His emotions hurtled one another.
Его чувства были противоречивы.
We move when we meet one another.
Мы снимаем шляпы в знак приветствия, когда встречаемся друг с другом.
They looked at one another in fear.
Они в страхе переглянулись.
They were distrustful of one another.
Они относились друг к другу с подозрением.
The horses ran level with one another.
Лошади бежали голова в голову.
They were ideally suited to one another.
Они идеально подходили друг другу.
We had a bit of a snap with one another.
Мы повздорили друг с другом.
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Примеры, отмеченные *, могут содержать сленг и разговорные фразы.
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
They stood facing one another for some time. 
In a marriage, you need to honour one another.
The women took an instant dislike to one another.
The candidates resorted to hurling brickbats at one another.
He fired three times in rapid succession (=one after another).
One after another, tropical storms battered the Pacific coastline.
The kids screamed in delight as they chased one another around the park.
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
one another
pronoun
one another
pronoun
Britannica Dictionary definition of ONE ANOTHER
:
each of two or more people, animals, etc., who are doing something together or in relationship to the other or others in the group
-
We shared our thoughts with one another. [=each other]
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