Meaning & use
respectively
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Meaning
adverbnot comparable
Used to show that each item in one list matches the item in the same position in another list.
Grammar: Usually comes at the end of a clause, after two lists: Anna and Ben are 8 and 10 respectively.
Patterns
- A and B were X and Y respectively
Maria and Tom are twenty and twenty-five years old respectively.
The first and second prizes went to Lee and Park respectively.
Rents rose by 4 and 7 percent in the north and south respectively.
Common combinations
- and respectively
- The cakes cost three and five dollars respectively.
- born in 1990 and 1993 respectively
- The sisters were born in 1990 and 1993 respectively.
- ranked first and second respectively
- They finished first and second respectively.
- scored ten and twelve respectively
- The two players scored ten and twelve points respectively.
- are named A and B respectively
- The two rivers are named the Red and the Blue respectively.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in that order
- In that order is a plainer phrase that does the same job but is longer.
- correspondingly
- Correspondingly means in a way that matches, but it does not link two lists item by item.
- each in turn
- Each in turn describes a sequence of actions, not a pairing between two lists.
Word family
- respective adjective
- belonging separately to each of the people or things mentioned
- respect noun
- a particular detail or aspect
- respectful adjective
- showing polite regard
Commonly confused: respectively or respectfully?
respectively vs respectfully
Respectfully means in a polite, honoring way, while respectively matches items from two lists.
Practice
Complete the sentence: Anna and David are a nurse and a teacher ___.
Choose one answer.
Respectively pairs Anna with nurse and David with teacher in the same order. Respectfully means politely and respectably means in a decent way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “respectively”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.