respectively

respectively — adverb

1. used to show the order in which the items in one list correspond one by one to t

1.adverbB2
Definition

used to show the order in which the items in one list correspond one by one to the items in another list — for example, when saying that Sahil and Anong scored 23 and 31 points, respectively, the first name matches the first score and the second name matches the second score.

Example

Eli and Dahlia scored 23 and 31 points on the test, respectively.

matching two pairs: [person A, person B] and [value A, value B]

Sahil and Anong received the customer-service and logistics awards, respectively.

Common collocations
  • A and B, respectively
  • first and second, respectively
  • in order
Synonyms
  • in that order

    a fuller phrase that can replace 'respectively' after a listing; less concise but more accessible to lower-level learners

  • correspondingly

    implies a logical or proportional relationship, not just positional matching; slightly more formal

  • severally

    archaic legal term meaning 'each separately'; not recommended for general use

Grammar Patterns

[list A] and [list B] are [value A] and [value B], respectively

Usage Note

Typically requires a preceding list of two or more items and a matching list of corresponding values, with a comma before 'respectively.' Common in formal and academic writing; less frequent in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

Eli and Dahlia scored 23 and 31 points respectively' (no comma).
Eli and Dahlia scored 23 and 31 points, respectively.
A comma separates the matched lists from 'respectively' in standard written English.
The team members are 14 years old respectively.
The team members are 14, 15, and 16 years old, respectively.
'Respectively' needs at least two items in each parallel list to show a matching order.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

"Respectively" anchors a precise matching-ordered-lists meaning that the other options do not fully cover. "In that order" is a rough paraphrase but sounds more conversational and can be ambiguous (it might refer to chronological order rather than positional matching). "Correspondingly" adds a sense of logical or cause-effect correspondence that "respectively" does not carry — for example, 'prices rose and demand fell, correspondingly' implies the two events are connected, not just listed in parallel. "In the same sequence" is a wordy substitute that learners would rarely choose over the concise adverb. For academic or formal writing where two parallel lists need unambiguous ordering, "respectively" is the standard choice: 'Group A and Group B contained 12 and 15 participants, respectively.'

in that ordercorrespondinglyin the same sequence

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pairs
  • lists
  • scores
  • values
  • ranks

Phrases

  • X and Y, respectively
  • A and B are [number] and [number], respectively

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English from the adjective 'respective' (from Medieval Latin 'respectivus,' meaning 'having regard for,' which came from Latin 'respectus,' meaning 'regard, consideration') plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly.' The meaning shifted from 'with regard to each separately' to the modern sense of 'in the order given.'