respectively

adverb

re·​spec·​tive·​ly ri-ˈspek-tiv-lē 

1

: in the order given

My cousin and I were respectively 12 and 16 years old.

2

: in particular : separately

could not recognize the solutions as salty or sour, respectively

Examples of respectively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This increase was starkly higher in the mid-Atlantic states that house a large number of data centers, such as Pennsylvania and Virginia, where bills rose by 19 and 10 percent, respectively. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026

Long hours were more common in informal employment than formal employment, affecting 41% versus 28% of workers respectively. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

Bellini says the hull is optimized for stability at high speeds, with power coming from a pair of either diesel or gas Volvo Pentas rated at 350 and 300 hp, respectively. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026

Limon and Bristy, 27, were both from Bangladesh and had come to Tampa in 2024 and 2025, respectively, to attend the school and further their studies, their friends said. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for respectively

• ineffectively
• retrospectively
• affectively
• collectively
• defectively
• effectively
• objectively
• prospectively
• protectively
• reflectively
• selectively
• subjectively

Kids Definition

respectively

adverb

re·​spec·​tive·​ly

ri-ˈspek-tiv-lē

: each in the order given

John and Mary were 12 and 13 years old respectively