respective

IPA/rɪˈspektɪv/
KK[rɪspˈɛktɪv]IPA/rɪˈspektɪv/

respective — adjective

  • respectivepositive
  • more respectivecomparative
  • most respectivesuperlative

1. Used before a noun to show that each person or thing in a group has their own in

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Used before a noun to show that each person or thing in a group has their own individual version of that noun — for instance, when two colleagues each go to their own separate offices, or when several teams each give their own separate reports.

Example

After the concert, Zuri and Ryo went back to their respective hotels.

their respective + plural noun (each to their own)

The three candidates presented their respective plans to the board of directors.

Common collocations
  • their respective homes
  • their respective roles
  • their respective fields
  • respective positions
  • respective responsibilities
  • respective families
  • respective countries
Synonyms
  • individual

    broader meaning — can be used predicatively (e.g., 'each person is individual'), which respective cannot

  • separate

    focuses on the idea of being apart or distinct; can be used both attributively and predicatively

  • own

    simpler and more common (each person's own X); but own requires a possessive pronoun, while respective does not always

  • corresponding

    more formal; used when things match or pair up in a list or system

Antonyms
  • collective

    shared by a group, rather than belonging to each member individually

  • joint

    done or owned together, not separately

  • common

    belonging to all members equally rather than each having their own

Grammar Patterns

possessive + respective + plural noun

the + respective + plural noun

each + noun + possessive + respective + plural noun

Usage Note

Always placed before a noun (attributive) — never used on its own after a verb like 'be' or 'seem'. The noun that follows is almost always plural because the word refers to multiple items belonging to multiple people. A clear group of people or things must already have been mentioned earlier in the sentence or the previous sentence.

Common Mistakes

The houses on this street are respective.
The houses on this street each have their respective owners.
respective cannot be used predicatively; it must go before a noun.
We went to our respective home.
We went to our respective homes.
the noun after respective must be plural.
Respective offices were clean.
The colleagues returned to their respective offices.
respective cannot be used without a clear reference to the group it belongs to.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Respective, individual, separate, own, and corresponding all relate to the idea that each entity has something of their own, but they differ in usage. Respective is unique because it always requires a preceding group reference and can only be used before a noun ('their respective homes'). Individual can appear in more positions and has a stronger focus on uniqueness rather than membership ('each individual student has different needs'). Separate stresses being apart from others ('they sleep in separate rooms' — even if it's just two rooms among two people). Own is the simplest and most common word, but it always needs a possessive ('my own room', 'their own homes'). Corresponding is more formal and suggests a matching relationship between two ordered lists ('the candidate and her corresponding test score'). In everyday writing, respective is the best choice when you have already named a group and want to make clear that each member has their own version of something. For example: 'The two doctors, Dr. Chen and Dr. Okafor, returned to their respective clinics.'

individual ↗separate ↗own ↗corresponding ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • their respective
  • our respective
  • the respective
  • each respective

Etymology

LatinFrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Respective comes from the Latin word respectivus, which meant 'having regard for' or 'considering in relation to.' This was formed from respectus (regard, consideration), the past participle of respicere (to look back at, to regard). The word entered English through French in the 1500s, first meaning 'relating to particular persons or things' and eventually settling into its modern sense of 'belonging to each individual member of a group.' The related adverb respectively appeared around the same time to mark the order of items in a list.