mutatis mutandis
- idiom
- /mjuːˈtɑːtɪs mjuːˈtændɪs/
- Formal
- The rules for playing basketball apply, mutatis mutandis, to other team sports as well.
- apply mutatis mutandis
- same would apply mutatis mutandis
Examples
-
And yet, this same observation applies, mutatis mutandis, to a predominantly social-historical explanation.
Academic text (2008) -
Politicians share that desire, mutatis mutandis.
Blog text (23) -
The same would apply, mutatis mutandis, to white students.
Academic text (1990) -
The same goes, mutatis mutandis, for nearly every other industrial and agricultural use of energy in our current economic system.
Blog text (1) -
And it is not hard to extend his analysis, mutatis mutandis, to include that of economies or economic theories.
Blog text (9) -
The same, mutatis mutandis, applies with regard to the central role of the state party, an essential fixture of fascism.
Academic text (1992) -
Through the brief description of the report, it can be seen that its rigorous and courageous analysis could be conducted, mutatis mutandis, for other countries or groups of countries.
Academic text (2004) -
This same logic applies, mutatis mutandis, to Paul's teachings about Jews and Gentiles.
Academic text (2000) -
But Socrates' arguments in the Phaedo suggest that apatheia can be seen, mutatis mutandis, as an important goal of Greek philosophy in general.
Academic text (2006) -
Article 30 of the Maritime Law of Liberia also states that, as far as it does not conflict with this law, the nonstatutory General Maritime Law of the United States of America may apply mutatis mutandis to Liberia.
Academic text (2017)
Surface Forms
Morphology
mutatis + mutandis
The components are Latin words not part of everyday English vocabulary, so a B1 learner who knows English constituent words would not be able to derive the meaning. The phrase is a learned Latin formula used in formal/academic registers and functions idiomatically in English, making its meaning non-compositional and unpredictable for typical learners.
Etymology
Mutatis mutandis comes from Latin words mutatis and mutandis, and it paints the picture 'change what must be changed', like copying a recipe but swapping a few ingredients to fit a new place. So the phrase means 'do the same, but make the necessary changes'.