What are Mutually Exclusive Events? Definition and Examples


Mutually exclusive events are events that cannot occur at the same time or simultaneously. For example, consider the two events "being 50 years old" and "being 2 years old" 

These two events are mutually exclusive events because a person cannot be 50 years old and 2 years old at the same time. 

A Few More Examples of Mutually Exclusive Events

When you roll a six-sided die, the events "rolling an even number" and "rolling an odd number" are mutually exclusive. You cannot get both an odd number and an even number at the same time in a single roll.

When you play with cards, the events "drawing a spade" and "drawing a heart" are mutually exclusive.

The events " being in Norway" and " being in the USA" are mutually exclusive events. Human beings are not omnipresent!

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