each other

pronoun

1. each the other; one another (used as a compound reciprocal pronoun):

   to strike at each other; to hold each other's hands; to love each other.

each other

pronoun

1. used when the action, attribution, etc, is reciprocal

   furious with each other

Usage Note

Although some insist that each other be used only in reference to two ( The two candidates respected each other ) and one another in reference to three or more ( The three nations threaten one another ), in standard practice they are interchangeable. Each other is not restricted to two, nor is one another restricted to three or more. The possessive of each other is each other's; the possessive of one another is one another's.

Usage

Each other and one another are interchangeable in modern British usage

Word History and Origins

Origin of each other¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English. See each, other

Idioms and Phrases

Also, one another . Each one the other, one the other, as in The boys like each other , or The birds were fighting one another over the crumbs . Both of these phrases indicate a reciprocal relationship or action between the subjects preceding ( the boys, the birds ). Formerly, many authorities held that each other should be confined to a relationship between two subjects only and one another used when there are more than two. Today most do not subscribe to this distinction, which was never strictly observed anyway. [Late 1300s] Also see at each other's throats .

Example Sentences

Small camps, usually consisting of 25-35 individuals living in homes a few feet from each other, create an environment where children can observe and interact with a wide range of people.

From Science Daily

Beyond the physical connections of these brain areas, it was also important to consider the types of messages they might send each other.

From Science Daily

Your cells communicate with each other, enabling your different parts to function as one team.

From Science Daily

They’d play against each other at home, but they finally get to play together.

From Los Angeles Times

We knew the trust we had in each other and we knew how to cover events live.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• one