reciprocal

[ri-sip-ruh-kuhl]

adjective

1. given or felt by each toward the other; mutual.

   reciprocal respect.

2. given, performed, felt, etc., in return.

   reciprocal aid.

3. matching; corresponding; equivalent.

   reciprocal privileges at other health clubs.

4. Grammar.,  (of a pronoun or verb) expressing mutual relationship or action.

   “Each other” and “one another” are reciprocal pronouns.

5. inversely corresponding; opposing.

   reciprocal muscles in your back.

6. Mathematics.,  noting expressions, relations, etc., involving reciprocals.

   a reciprocal function.

7. Navigation.,  bearing in a direction 180° to a given direction; back.

noun

1. something that is reciprocal to something else.

   Faith and fear are reciprocals.

2. Also called multiplicative inverse. Mathematics.,  the ratio of unity to a given quantity or expression; that by which the given quantity or expression is multiplied to produce unity.

   The reciprocal of x is 1/x.

reciprocal

/ rɪˈsɪprəkəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating something given by each of two people, countries, etc, to the other; mutual

   reciprocal friendship

   reciprocal trade

2. given or done in return

   a reciprocal favour

3. (of a pronoun) indicating that action is given and received by each subject; for example, each other in the sentence they started to shout at each other

4. maths of or relating to a number or quantity divided into one

5. nautical denoting a course or bearing that is 180° from the previous or assumed one

noun

1. something that is reciprocal

2. Also called: inverse. maths a number or quantity that when multiplied by a given number or quantity gives a product of one

   the reciprocal of 2 is 0.5

reciprocal

1. Either of a pair of numbers whose product is 1. For example, the number 3 is the reciprocal of 1/3.

reciprocal

1. The number by which a given number must be multiplied to get a result of one. The reciprocal of one-half, for example, is two.

Other Word Forms

• reciprocality noun
• reciprocalness noun
• reciprocally adverb
• nonreciprocal adjective
• unreciprocal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reciprocal¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin reciproc(us) “returning, reciprocal” + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of reciprocal¹

C16: from Latin reciprocus alternating

Synonym Study

See mutual.

Example Sentences

The administration has insisted its so-called “reciprocal” tariffs announced in April are proper, while opponents say its Congress’ territory.

Read more on Barron's

The ruling could differentiate between "reciprocal" tariffs seeking to narrow trade gaps and others imposed to crack down on fentanyl entering the United States, added Majerus, a partner at law firm King & Spalding.

Read more on Barron's

The U.S. held off on raising tariffs by 100%—a step previewed before the meeting—and delayed any further increases to reciprocal tariffs.

Read more on Barron's

The U.S. and China agreed to a truce, reducing fentanyl-related tariffs by 10 percentage points to 47% and delaying a reciprocal tariff increase.

Read more on Barron's

The talks covered a broad range of issues, including export controls, extensions to the suspension of reciprocal tariffs and cooperation to tackle the illicit trade in fentanyl, according to Bessent and Li.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• complementary 
• mutual 

When To Use

What does reciprocal mean?

Reciprocal is an adjective used to describe things that involve an action done in response to another action in a way that is equivalent to it.To perform such an action is to reciprocate, and the act of doing so is called reciprocation. For example, when someone does you a favor, you can reciprocate by doing something nice for them.The word reciprocal is typically used to describe actions, relationships, or other things that involve such actions. Synonyms include mutual, equivalent, corresponding, matching, and complementary.Reciprocal can also be used as a noun. It can be used in a general way to mean something that is equivalent to something else—similar to the term counterpart.In mathematics, it’s used as a noun in a more specific way to refer to the number by which another number must be multiplied to get a result of one. For example, the reciprocal of ½ is 2 (which, in the form of a fraction, is 2/1). In math, a reciprocal is also called an inverse.Relatedly, reciprocal can also be used as an adjective to mean opposite or inversely related (which is just about the opposite of what reciprocal is generally used to mean).Example: The two museums offer a reciprocal membership, which means it gives you visiting privileges at both.