reciprocal

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /rɪˈsɪprəkl/ UK /rɪˈsɪprəkl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
given or done in return; mutual

They reached a reciprocal trade agreement.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · given or done in return;... mutual corresponding complementary interchangeable correlative shared

Opposites

one-sided unilateral

Word family

Derived forms reciprocallyreciprocalityreciprocate

Related forms reciprocity reciprocate

Etymology

From Latin reciprocus ('moving back and forth, alternating'), perhaps from re- ('back') + pro- ('forward').

reciprocus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# reciprocal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /rɪˈsɪprəkl/
**IPA (UK):** /rɪˈsɪprəkl/

## Meanings
1. given or done in return; mutual

## Examples
- They reached a reciprocal trade agreement.

## Synonyms
- mutual
- corresponding
- complementary
- interchangeable
- correlative
- shared

## Antonyms
- one-sided
- unilateral

## Derived Forms
- reciprocally
- reciprocality
- reciprocate

## Related Forms
- reciprocity
- reciprocate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: reciprocus

## Etymology
From Latin reciprocus ('moving back and forth, alternating'), perhaps from re- ('back') + pro- ('forward').

## AI Etymology
Reciprocal comes from Latin reciprocus ('moving back and forth, alternating'), perhaps from re- ('back') + pro- ('forward'). The historical chain includes Latin reciprocus. The quoted older senses, "moving back and forth, alternating", "back", and "forward", supply the semantic anchors for reciprocal. The formation is best read as compound and borrowed: the word reciprocal carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a adj, "given or done in return; mutual". English derivatives include reciprocally, reciprocality, and reciprocate; related English forms include reciprocity and reciprocate. The result is a adj and noun whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown