1
Core manner or degree
In the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
Example
The northern and southern sites date to 1820 and 1850, respectively.
respectively
/rɪˈspektɪvli/ · rih-SPEK-tiv-leeadverb
In the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
Use respectively to express this relationship precisely: in the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
What respectively Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Position and scope
Place this adverb where it clearly modifies the intended action, response, or degree.
Example
Maya and Arun received first and second place, respectively.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact manner or intensity matters; nearby adverbs may change the writer's claim.
Example
The red and blue lines represent rainfall and temperature, respectively.
Use respectively Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The northern and southern sites date to 1820 and 1850, respectively.
Maya and Arun received first and second place, respectively.
The red and blue lines represent rainfall and temperature, respectively.
Precision Matters
Respectively overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
respectively
vs.Means in the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
meanwhile
Means indicate that something happens at the same time as another event or during the interval before it is completed.
respectively
vs.Means in the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
likewise
Means show that a similar statement, action, or relationship applies to another case.
respectively
vs.Means in the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
sequential
Means following or arranged in a particular order, with one step, event, or item after another.
respectively
vs.Means in the same order as the people or things just mentioned.
in turn
Means mark the next step in a sequence or a result that then produces another result.
Test respectively in Context
The two measurements correspond in the same order to the two samples.
1
The copper and iron samples weighed 12 and 18 grams, ___.