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

Vasquez and Felix had served eight and nine years with Phoenix police, respectively. — CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Fellow Cheshire Academy products, receiver Tarik Black and cornerback Josh Jobe, both signed new deals this offseason with the Lions and Seahawks, respectively. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Kalshi was founded in 2018 by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, who met at MIT and serve as CEO and chief operating officer, respectively. — Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

This is a surge of 16% and a whopping 56%, respectively, and NXT’s best number since NXT Homecoming last September. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 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