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Synonyms

respective

American  
[ri-spek-tiv] / rɪˈspɛk tɪv /

adjective

  1. pertaining individually or severally to each of a number of persons, things, etc.; particular.

    I will now discuss the respective merits of the candidates.
    Synonyms:
    corresponding, individual, separate
    Antonyms:
    irrespective
respective British  
/ rɪˈspɛktɪv /

adjective

  1. belonging or relating separately to each of several people or things; several

    we took our respective ways home

  2. an archaic word for respectful

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • respectiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of respective

First recorded in 1515–25; from Medieval Latin respectīvus, equivalent to Latin respect(us) ( respect ( def. ) ) + -īvus -ive ( def. )

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.

And as you can see from the chart, both the 10-year and 1-year real yields follow a similar pattern — and are above their respective two-decade averages.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

None of the four No. 1 seeds have struggled much in their respective games this tournament.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Given the teams' respective defeats on Thursday, their friendly encounter has been met with apathy on both sides.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Both are now running for seats in their respective state Houses.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

We stood in silence for a while and slowly started walking to our respective sleeping places, as the curfew was approaching.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

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.