respectively
Americanadverb
-
(of two or more things) referring or applying to two or more things previously mentioned in a parallel or sequential way.
Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively.
-
in precisely the order given; sequentially.
adverb
Etymology
Origin of respectively
First recorded in 1550–60; respective + -ly
Explanation
Respectively is used to indicate order, like if you said "Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan excelled in swimming and basketball, respectively." You can think of respectively as a word that lines things up in order so they match. You might say that pizza and meatloaf are your favorite and least favorite foods, respectively. If you and your sister were voted Most Improved and MVP in a baseball league, respectively, then you got better and your sister was the best. This word doesn't have much to do with respect, but it is respectful to write clearly, and respectively helps with that.
Vocabulary lists containing respectively
The Bill of Rights
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The Constitution of the United States
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The Emancipation Proclamation (1862)
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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.
Explosive all-rounders Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp were tasked with scoring 30 from the final two overs, but they were dismissed for 12 and 14 respectively as England finished on 156-6.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Fidelity and Atreides started investing in SpaceX when it was worth about $10 billion and $30 billion, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The A’s bounced back late as Darell Hernáiz and Kurtz hit RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to tie the score.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Over 72-week trials, adults on the highest doses of those drugs lost 11.1% and 20.9% of body weight, respectively.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The population movement that brought Achmad’s and Sauakari’s ancestors to Java and New Guinea, respectively, termed the Austronesian expansion, was among the biggest population movements of the last 6,000 years.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
