# respective

/ɹiˈspɛktɪv/ (US) · /ɹɪspˈɛktɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/respective
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. belonging to each individually

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

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

### 2. showing respect

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic

showing or feeling respect for someone.

For teachers: demonstrating or characterized by respect; respectful.

- The knight gave a respective bow to the king.
- In the old manuscript, the author writes of a respective silence that fell over the court when the queen entered.

Teaching tip: This sense is obsolete in modern English; learners should use 'respectful' instead.

## Examples

- The guests returned to their respective rooms after dinner.
- After the joint meeting, the two CEOs returned to their respective headquarters to brief their boards.
- The successful applicants were notified of their respective start dates and assigned to their individual mentors based on their specific technical backgrounds.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.