respectively

adverb

re·​spec·​tive·​ly ri-ˈspek-tiv-lē 

1

: in the order given

Mary and Anne 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

Ackles and Cash will reprise their characters from The Boys, Soldier Boy and Stormfront, respectively. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025

But decades ago, Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York, were the center of conversations for their marriages to then Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, respectively, and also because of the relationship between them. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Aug. 2025

Gerald and Mary Ellen Clark, 91 and 86 respectively, said Renaissance was their third polling place of the day. —Aurora Sousanis, Freep.com, 6 Aug. 2025

New commissions from Camille Norment and Christopher Myers will grace the museum’s terraced staircase and its Education Workshop, respectively. —News Desk, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2025

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