[Eerie]

Is this in the right section of the forum?
I thought Soompi had a HomeworkHelp forum

How do you use the word "respectively"?

I heard it being used before by different people at different times.
Never understood the actual meaning of it.

Here is an example of the word being used:

The temperatures were 34, 59, and 42 at 0600, 1400, and 2200 hours, respectively.
(Source: Grammar Central)


Here is the definition of the word:

–adverb
1. in precisely the order given; sequentially.
2. (of two or more things, with reference to two or more things previously mentioned) referring or applying to in a parallel or sequential way: Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively.
(Source: Dictionary.com)

Edited:
Another question:

It is a bit hard to understand so I have one more question just to make sure.
Referring back to the example used in the first post:

Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively.

So from reading that sentence, I could illustrate this example like so:

Joe escorted Betty. Bob escorted Alice.

Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice. respectively

But if I were to take of the word "respectively" then this sentence COULD mean:

Both Joe and Bob (together) escorted both Betty and Alice (together).

Is that right?
If you did NOT use the word "respectively" in the sentence, then it would give it a different meaning, in a sense?

[Eerie]

Can anyone please help?

[QUlRKofFATE]

For instance:

My brother and sister are 16 and 17, respectively.

This sentence means that my brother is 16 and my sister is 17 (in order). Hope this helps!

[NO-1]

Both definitions are basically the same. You use 'respectively' when you list things and then list some details about those things in a parallel structure.

For example:
Lily and Sharon ordered cotton candy and banana icecream, respectively.

Since what flavor each person ordered is not paired directly with each person but listed separately afterwards, you would use 'respectively', which tells you: Lily ordered cotton candy icecream and Sharon ordered banana icecream.

[Eerie]

Wow thank you very much NO-1 and QUlRKofFATE.
It is a bit hard to understand so I have one more question just to make sure.
Referring back to the example used in the first post:

Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively.

So from reading that sentence, I could illustrate this example like so:

Joe escorted Betty. Bob escorted Alice.

Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice. respectively

But if I were to take of the word "respectively" then this sentence COULD mean:

Both Joe and Bob (together) escorted both Betty and Alice (together).

Is that right?
If you did NOT use the word "respectively" in the sentence, then it would give it a different meaning, in a sense?

[Zealain]

if you use "Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice," then you know that it can be either:
joe+betty and bob+alice
or
joe+alice and bob+betty

it does NOT mean joe+bob and betty+alice because joe and bob are the escortees... lol

by using "Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively," you just make it more specific

[Eerie]

it does NOT mean joe+bob and betty+alice because joe and bob are the escortees... lol

I know but can't it mean
joe+bob escorted betty+alice
(not joe escorted bob / betty escorted alice)
In this example here, Joe and Bob are still the escortees.

[esm90]

the word "respectively" implies they mean joe escorted bob / betty escorted alice

without it the thing you wrote in red is a possible interpretation

[jeahh]

Respectively implies the ordering/pairing separately, whereas without the word it could mean both male escorted both females (at the SAME moment TOGETHER).