Word of the Day

: June 8, 2011

reciprocate

verb rih-SIP-ruh-kayt

What It Means

1 : to move backward and forward alternately

2 : to give and take mutually

3 : to make a return for something done or given

reciprocate in Context

It was kind of Jake to give us a ride to the airport, and we’d like to find a way to reciprocate the favor.

"Reese Witherspoon invited Prince William and Kate Middleton to her wedding -- but they didn't reciprocate." -- From an article by Lindsay Powers in The Hollywood Reporter, April 19, 2011

Did You Know?

"Reciprocate," "retaliate," "requite," and "return" all mean "to give back," usually in kind or in quantity. "Reciprocate" implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received ("We reciprocated their hospitality by offering to let them stay for a week"). "Retaliate" usually implies a paying back of an injury or offense in exact kind, often vengefully ("She retaliated by spreading equally nasty rumors about them"). "Requite" implies a paying back according to one's preference, and often not in an equivalent fashion ("He requited her love with cold indifference"). "Return" implies simply a paying or giving back ("returned their call" or "return good for evil").