Word
respectfully
Phoneticsre·spect·ful·ly
US/ɹɪˈspɛktfəɫi/
UK/ɹɪspˈɛktfəli/
Definition
adv. to do something in a way that shows you admire someone or care about their feelings. You use this to be polite, especially when you disagree with someone.
adv. in a manner that conveys esteem, deference, or consideration for the feelings and rights of others. Frequently used as a sentence modifier to soften a disagreement or formal correction.
Examples
“He listened respectfully while his grandfather told the story.”
“The student respectfully asked the professor to explain the difficult concept one more time.”
“While the board members disagreed with the proposal, they listened respectfully to the presentation before explaining their reasons for the rejection.”
Examples
simple
“He listened respectfully while his grandfather told the story.”
contextual
“The student respectfully asked the professor to explain the difficult concept one more time.”
complex
“While the board members disagreed with the proposal, they listened respectfully to the presentation before explaining their reasons for the rejection.”
Usage
Often placed after the verb it modifies, or at the beginning of a sentence when used to introduce a polite disagreement.
Pitfall
He spoke respective to the judge
He spoke respectfully to the judge
Learners confuse 'respectfully' (showing respect) with 'respectively' (in the order mentioned).
Confusables
Respectively links items in two lists by their order, while respectfully describes acting with politeness or honor.
RememberRespectively = Ranks in order. Respectfully = Regard for others.
Etymology
From respectful + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/respectfully