ENGLISH
REFERENCE

respective

adj.
US //ɹiˈspɛktɪv// UK //ɹɪspˈɛktɪv// re·spec·tive
  1. 1 belonging to each individually (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    belonging or relating to each of the people or things you have just mentioned.

    relating to two or more people or things individually, in the order they were previously mentioned.

    Example

    After the meeting, the managers returned to their respective offices to start work.

    Example

    The successful candidates were escorted to their respective departments to begin the orientation process with their new supervisors.

    Usage

    Always used before a plural noun.
    Pitfall
    They went to their respective home.
    They went to their respective homes.

    The noun following 'respective' must be plural because it refers to multiple individual items.

  2. 2 showing respect (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic

    showing or feeling respect for someone.

    demonstrating or characterized by respect; respectful.

    Example

    The knight gave a respective bow to the king.

    Example

    In the old manuscript, the author writes of a respective silence that fell over the court when the queen entered.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is obsolete in modern English; learners should use 'respectful' instead.
Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin respectivus, from Latin respectus. By surface analysis, respect + -ive.

Word family

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