adj
Common
respective
rih-SPEHK-tihv
Respective (adj) means belonging or relating separately to each person or thing being discussed. Example: “After the meeting, we all went back to our respective offices to work.”
adj
1
Belonging or relating separately to each person or thing being discussed.
"After the meeting, we all went back to our respective offices to work."
"The two teams returned to their respective locker rooms."
"Each employee received feedback on their respective projects."
How to use respective
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed to show that each item in a list corresponds to its own separate thing, not shared.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with respectful (showing respect) — respective is about "each one's own," not politeness.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
their respective roles
return to respective seats
in their respective fields
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After the meeting, we all went back to our _____ offices to work.
Etymology
Borrowed via Medieval Latin respectivus from Latin respectus ("a looking back, regard").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for respective
See all rhymes for respective →Frequently asked questions
What does “respective” mean?
The word “respective” means belonging or relating separately to each person or thing being discussed. In plain terms, used to show that each item in a list corresponds to its own separate thing, not shared.
How do you pronounce “respective”?
“Respective” is pronounced rih-SPEHK-tihv (/ɹɪˈspɛktɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “respective” in a sentence?
Here is “respective” used in a sentence: “The two teams returned to their respective locker rooms.”
What part of speech is “respective”?
“Respective” is an adjective.
Where does the word “respective” come from?
The word “respective” comes from Medieval Latin. Borrowed via Medieval Latin respectivus from Latin respectus ("a looking back, regard").
Is “respective” a common word?
“Respective” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between "respective" and "respectful"?
"Respective" means belonging separately to each person or thing being discussed, as in "they returned to their respective homes." "Respectful" means showing respect or politeness, so despite the shared root the two words are not interchangeable.
What is the difference between "respective" and "respectively"?
"Respective" is an adjective describing things that belong separately to each party, while "respectively" is an adverb meaning "in the order already given." For example, "Anna and Ben scored 90 and 80 respectively" links each name to its matching number in sequence.
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