respective

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin respectivus, from Latin respectus. Equivalent to respect +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈspɛktɪv/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛktɪv
• Hyphenation: re‧spec‧tive

Adjective

respective (not comparable)

1. Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.

   They returned to their respective places of abode.

   • 2012 August 23, Alasdair Lamont, “Hearts 0-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Adam and Novikovas swapped long-range efforts, neither of which troubled the respective keepers.

   • 2020 April 22, “Network News: Staged return to work at Hitachi and CAF factories”, in Rail, page 9:

     Hitachi and CAF have begun a staged return to work at their respective Newton Aycliffe and Newport factories, having reduced output following the COVID-19 outbreak.

2. (obsolete) Noticing with attention; careful; wary.
   • c. 1559-1570, Edwin Sandys, letter to Bernard Gilpin

     But if you looke upon the estate of the church of England with a respective eye , you cannot with a good conscience refuse this charge imposed upon you

3. (obsolete) Looking toward; having reference to; relative, not absolute.

   the respective connections of society

4. (obsolete) Fitted to awaken respect.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 192:

     What should it be that he respects in her / But I can make respective in myself,

5. (obsolete) Rendering respect; respectful; regardful.
   • [1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:

     With a respective shame, rose, took us by the hands.

     The spelling has been modernized.

   • a. 1598, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, instructions to his son Robert Cecil, when young

     With thy equals familiar, yet respective.

Synonyms

• (relating to particular persons or things): corresponding, relevant, specific

Derived terms

• respectively
• respectiveness
• irrespective

Translations

referencing two or more things as individuals

Armenian: համապատասխան (hy) (hamapatasxan) Bulgarian: съответен (bg) (sǎotveten) Catalan: respectiu Danish: respektive (da) Dutch: achtereenvolgend (nl) Esperanto: respektiva French: respectif (fr) German: jeweilig (de) Greek: αντίστοιχος (el) (antístoichos) Latvian: attiecīgs, atbilstošs, piederīgs Malayalam: അതത് (ml) (atatŭ) Norwegian: Bokmål: respektiv Nynorsk: respektiv Polish: poszczególny (pl), odpowiedni (pl) Portuguese: respectivo (pt) (Brazil), respetivo (pt) (Portugal) Russian: соотве́тствующий (ru) (sootvétstvujuščij) Scottish Gaelic: air leth Spanish: respectivo (es) Swedish: respektiv Ukrainian: відпові́дний (vidpovídnyj) Vietnamese: tương ứng (vi), riêng từng (người, cái, …)

Anagrams

• perceivest

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

respective

1. feminine singular of respectif

German

Adverb

respective

1. Obsolete spelling of respektive.