respectively

adverb

re·​spec·​tive·​ly ri-ˈspek-tiv-lē 

1

: in the order given

Mary and Anne were respectively 12 and 16 years old

2

: in particular : separately

could not recognize the solutions as salty or sour, respectively

Examples of respectively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The project also nears that uppermost tier on both the Top Streaming Albums chart and Billboard 200, pushing to Nos. 12 and 14, respectively. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

Gregory and Benedict are also popular pontifical names with 16 and 15 uses, respectively,while Innocent and Leo come close behind with 13 uses each. —Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025

Rock, alternative and hard rock albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts, respectively. —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 4 May 2025

After Carolina and Washington dispatched New Jersey and Montreal, respectively, in five games, the seemingly inevitable matchup was realized. —Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for respectively

• ineffectively
• retrospectively
• affectively
• collectively
• defectively
• effectively
• objectively
• prospectively
• protectively
• reflectively
• selectively
• subjectively

Kids Definition

respectively

adverb

re·​spec·​tive·​ly

ri-ˈspek-tiv-lē

: each in the order given

John and Mary were 12 and 13 years old respectively