respective
Americanadjective
adjective
-
belonging or relating separately to each of several people or things; several
we took our respective ways home
-
an archaic word for respectful
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of respective
First recorded in 1515–25; from Medieval Latin respectīvus, equivalent to Latin respect(us) ( see respect ( def. )) + -īvus -ive ( def. )
Explanation
When two people each have something of their own, it's their respective thing. In a boxing match, the opponents each start in their respective or individual corners. Respective comes from the Latin respectivus meaning "having regard for." Everyone has regard for what's respectively theirs. We have respective opinions, respective responsibilities, respective anxieties. It's basically another word for individual. Each of a set of twins probably has his respective bed, even though they might share a bedroom together.
Vocabulary lists containing respective
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The English club’s U.S.-listed stock might get a boost if its 13 players participating in the World Cup for their respective nations shine and become more valuable on the transfer market.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
And its main competitors in frontier AI model development—Anthropic and OpenAI—are both racing toward public offerings this year that will add to their own respective financial firepower.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Panish reminded jurors that witnesses testified that, in the September 2020 incident, Grossman and her then-lover Erickson were racing their respective Mercedes SUVs on the roads that surrounded the lake in Westlake Village.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
What makes the dwelling all the more special is the fact that it was the place where the actors’ respective families first “blended,” Steenburgen added.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
When nobody else appeared, our worker took us back to our respective foster homes.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
