Adjacent Words

Respective definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RESPECT'IVE, a.
1. Relative; having relation to something else; not absolute; as the respective connections of society.
2. Particular; relating to a particular person or thing. Let each man retire to his respective place of abode. The officers were found in their respective quarters; they appeared at the head of their respective regiments. Let each give according to his respective proportion.
3. Worthy of respect. [Not in use.]
4. Careful; circumspect; cautious; attentive to consequences; as respective and wary men. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: considered individually; "the respective club members"; "specialists in their several fields"; "the various reports all agreed" [syn: respective, several, various]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: circa 1595 1. obsolete partial, discriminative 2. particular, separate <their respective homes> • respectiveness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. concerning or appropriate to each of several individually; proper to each (go to your respective places). Etymology: F respectif -ive f. med.L respectivus (as RESPECT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Respective Re*spec"tive (r?*sp?k"t?v), a. [Cf. F. respectif, LL. respectivus. See Respect.] 1. Noticing with attention; hence, careful; wary; considerate. [Obs.] If you look upon the church of England with a respective eye, you can not . . . refuse this charge. --A?p. Sandys. 2. Looking towardl having reference to; relative, not absolute; as, the respective connections of society. 3. Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own; as, they returned to their respective places of abode. 4. Fitted to awaken respect. [Obs.] --Shak. 5. Rendering respect; respectful; regardful. [Obs.] With respective shame, rose, took us by the hands. --Chapman. With thy equals familiar, yet respective. --Lord Burleigh.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Respective means relating or belonging separately to the individual people you have just mentioned. Steve and I were at very different stages in our respective careers... ADJ: ADJ n, usu poss ADJ pl-n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Relative. 2. Particular, own, several.

Moby Thesaurus

absolute, certain, common, communal, commutual, concrete, conjoint, corresponding, defined, definite, detailed, determinate, different, distinct, distinguished, distributional, distributive, equal, esoteric, especial, even stephen, exceptional, express, extraordinary, fifty-fifty, fixed, half, half-and-half, halvers, individual, inner, intimate, joint, minute, mutual, noteworthy, own, particular, per capita, per head, personal, pertinent, precise, private, pro rata, proportional, proportionate, prorated, relevant, separate, several, singular, solipsistic, special, specific, two-way