respective

adjective

re·​spec·​tive ri-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce respective (audio)
Synonyms of respective
1
: particular, separate
their respective homes
2
obsolete : partial, discriminative
respectiveness noun

Synonyms of respective

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of respective in a Sentence

it was late when the concert let out, so we all went our respective ways
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both already serve as the ranking members of their respective committees, and Warren, in particular, has found success pursuing progressive policy priorities despite Republicans running Washington. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Oct. 2026 The legislative branch security is solely under the authority of the respective Sergeants at Arms and the USCP Police Board. — Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026 The respective multi-year contracts, which were all worth more than $16 million annually, reset the standard for the top analyst teams in major network broadcasting. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026 Last week, Chloe and Chioma reunited in the New York studio for a special taping of The Run-Through focused on their respective November issues. — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for respective

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of respective was in 1597

Rhymes for respective

See All Rhymes for respective

Browse Nearby Words

respecting
respective
respectively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Respective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respective. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

respective

adjective
re·​spec·​tive ri-ˈspek-tiv How to pronounce respective (audio)
: not the same or shared : separate
they hurried to their respective homes
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All