reciprocal
Use Reciprocal in a sentence
rə adjective
1.
given or felt by each toward the other; mutual: reciprocal respect.
2.
given, performed, felt, etc., in return: reciprocal aid.
3.
corresponding; matching; complementary; equivalent: reciprocal privileges at other health clubs.
4.
Grammar. (of a pronoun or verb) expressing mutual relationship or action: “Each other” and “one another” are reciprocal pronouns.
5.
inversely related or proportional; opposite.
noun
8.
something that is reciprocal to something else; equivalent; counterpart; complement.
9.
Also called multiplicative inverse. Mathematics. the ratio of unity to a given quantity or expression; that by which the given quantity or expression is multiplied to produce unity: The reciprocal of x is 1/x.
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Reciprocal
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| the symbol (#) used for various purposes. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Related forms
re·cip·ro·cal·i·ty, re·cip·ro·cal·ness, noun
re·cip·ro·cal·ly, adverb
non·re·cip·ro·cal, adjective, noun
non·re·cip·ro·cal·ly, adverb
un·re·cip·ro·cal, adjective
Can be confused: 1. mutual, reciprocal (see synonym study at mutual) ; 2. common, mutual, reciprocal (see usage note at mutual).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To reciprocal
Collins
World English Dictionary
reciprocal (rɪˈsɪprəkəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of, relating to, or designating something given by each of two people, countries, etc, to the other; mutual: reciprocal friendship; reciprocal trade |
| 2. | given or done in return: a reciprocal favour |
| 3. | (of a pronoun) indicating that action is given and received by each subject; for example, each other in the sentence they started to shout at each other |
| 4. | maths of or relating to a number or quantity divided into one |
| 5. | nautical denoting a course or bearing that is 180° from the previous or assumed one |
| —n | |
| 6. | something that is reciprocal |
| 7. | maths Also called: inverse a number or quantity that when multiplied by a given number or quantity gives a product of one: the reciprocal of 2 is 0.5 |
| [C16: from Latin reciprocus alternating] | |
| recipro'cality | |
| —n | |
| re'ciprocally | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
reciprocal
1560s, from L. reciprocus "returning the same way, alternating," from pre-L. *reco-proco-, from *recus (from re- "back" + -cus, adjective formation) + *procus (from pro- "forward" + -cus, adjective formation).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
reciprocal re·cip·ro·cal (rĭ-sĭp'rə-kəl)
adj.
Of or relating to a neuromuscular phenomenon in which the excitation of one group of muscles is accompanied by the inhibition of another.
Of or being a pair of crosses in which the male parent in one cross is of the same genotype or phenotype as the female parent in the other cross.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| reciprocal (rĭ-sĭp'rə-kəl) Pronunciation Key
Either of a pair of numbers whose product is 1. For example, the number 3 is the reciprocal of 1/3 . |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
reciprocal definition
The number by which a given number must be multiplied to get a result of one. The reciprocal of one-half, for example, is two.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
When it was agreed that a volunteer's employer would win the reciprocal-labor lottery, she hopped around in excitement.
Reciprocal trade finance enables a firm to buy using its incremental cost of production.
There is a strong reciprocal attraction between the primitive and the civilized.
Kinkajous form treetop groups and share social interactions such as reciprocal grooming.
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