as in complementary
related to each other in such a way that one completes the other
the two nations agreed to give reciprocal work rights to each other's citizens, thus facilitating the daily border crossings of workers from both countries
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Recent Examples of reciprocal
Also, there’s just something poetic and reciprocal about your child passing on some of their DNA to you.
—
Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The county Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation under a reciprocal agreement with San Diego police, so neither department investigates its own officers or deputies.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Friendship is supposed to be reciprocal.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Too much one-sidedness can deplete both enthusiasm and resources — and wanting a roughly reciprocal relationship is not unreasonable.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reciprocal
Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
The county Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation under a reciprocal agreement with San Diego police, so neither department investigates its own officers or deputies.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Friendship is supposed to be reciprocal.
—Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Too much one-sidedness can deplete both enthusiasm and resources — and wanting a roughly reciprocal relationship is not unreasonable.
—Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reciprocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reciprocal
Adjective
-
There is now growing bipartisan recognition that the US will need two complementary engines of nuclear growth.—
John Kerry,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Rather than replacing district funding, the organization functions as a complementary support system designed to help teachers access classroom materials without relying on personal spending.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Owing to the mutual gravitational influence of one galaxy on another, this should trigger severe star-formation episodes in both galaxies, leading to a massive influx of new stars built out of the internal gas within them.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Mar. 2026
-
McKenzie helps to run a mutual aid group, one of several that have sprung up in Atlanta.—
Jess Mador,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The other molecules — hundreds of them — have been shelved, untested and relegated for now to the supplementary data sections of journal articles.—
Henry Skinner,
STAT,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Trustees also approved a supplementary retirement plan to the Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) system.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reciprocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reciprocal. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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