reciprocal
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ɹɪˈsɪpɹək(ə)l/
Adjective

reciprocal (not comparable)

  1. Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly felt or done by each party towards the other or others; two-way.
    reciprocal love; reciprocal duties
    • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene vi]:
      Let our reciprocal vows be remembered.
  2. Mutually interchangeable.
    • These two rules will render a definition reciprocal with the thing defined.
  3. (grammar) expressing mutual action, applied to pronouns and verbs; also in a broad sense: reflexive
  4. (math) Used to denote different kinds of mutual relation; often with reference to the substitution of reciprocals for given quantities.
  5. Done, given, felt, or owed in return
    a reciprocal invitation to lunch
Synonyms Related terms Translations Translations
  • German: entgegengesetzt, umgekehrt
  • Russian: обра́тный
  • Spanish: al revés
Noun

reciprocal (plural reciprocals)

  1. (arithmetic) The number obtained by dividing 1 by another given number; the result of exchanging the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.
    0.5 is the reciprocal of 2.
  2. (grammar) A construction expressing mutual action.
    • 2008, Ekkehard König, ‎Volker Gast, Reciprocals and Reflexives: Theoretical and Typological Explorations
      Depending on where reciprocalization applies (syntax vs. lexicon), the relevant reciprocal verbs are claimed to exhibit specific properties, in particular: (i) syntactic reciprocals are fully productive whereas lexical reciprocals have only limited productivity; […]
Synonyms Translations


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