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.
Team president Stephen Jones and chief sales and marketing officer Jerry Jones Jr. gave $122,000 and $100,000, respectively.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Seoul jumped more than two percent and Tokyo around 1.8 percent, though they slumped 7.6 percent and 4.9 percent respectively Thursday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Two of Musk’s most incisive critics, his ex-wife Justine Musk and former right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair, describe him as a gaslighter and a nuke, respectively.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
Continued momentum in India helped offset sharp declines in the U.S. and China, of 10% and 25%, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
More complex units don’t always conquer less complex ones but may succumb to them, as when the Roman and Chinese Empires were overrun by “barbarian” and Mongol chiefdoms, respectively.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
