▪ I. respective, a.
(rɪˈspɛktɪv)
[ad. late L. respectīv-us: see respect v. and -ive. Hence also F. respectif, Sp. and Pg. respectivo, It. ri-, respettivo.]
† 1. Of persons: Regardful, attentive, considerate, careful. Obs. (Very common 1600–30.)
| 1525 Bp. Clerk Let. to Wolsey (MS. Cott. Vit. B. vii. fol. 168), His Holynes semyd to be v[ery] respective and waare lest he shold speke to farre. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 156 Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths, You should haue beene respectiue and haue kept it. 1603 Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 237 Wishing you both to be respective that..you raise as small numbers as may be. a 1643 J. Shute Judgem. & Mercy (1645) 206 Thus respective the children of God have ever been to bring Glory to God in all their Actions. |
b. Careful or regardful
of something. Now
rare.
| 1599 Warn. Faire Wom. i. 249 He's very wise, she very circumspect, Very respective of her honest name. 1620 Venner Via Recta iv. 79, I aduise all such as are respectiue of their health, vtterly to abandon the vse of them. 1651 Cartwright Cert. Relig. i. 314 Bellarmine was more curious and criticall,..then..tender and respective of the credit of these antient Doctours. |
| 1847 Emerson Repr. Men, Swedenborg Wks. (Bohn) I. 316 But Swedenborg is systematic, and respective of the world in every sentence. |
† c. Attentive
to a person or thing.
Obs.| 1600 Abp. Abbot Jonah 222 So respective is the Lord to those who fly to him. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x. 459 Hauing no more Religion (and lesse respectiue to deuotion) than an externall presumptuous show. 1644 Vicars God in Mount 177 The inhabitants..were very kind and respective to the Souldiers. 1705 Lawyer's Fortune iii. ii, I grant that a man with no estate would be more respective to her than he that has. |
2. Of conduct, etc.: Marked by regardful care or attention; heedful. Now
rare.
| 1598 R. Haydocke tr. Lomazzo ii. 65 To be very pleasant, but with such respectiue moderation, that their laughter exceed not. 1600 Holland Livy xxvi. xlix. 623, I would..haue a respectiue consideration, that no one thing among us should suffer abuse. 1609 Heywood Brit. Troy v. xviii, Then view that Saturne with Respective Eies. 1652 Sir C. Cotterell tr. Calprenède's Cassandra ii. 23 The most holy zeal, and the most respective passion that ever was. |
| 1854 Patmore Angel in Ho. vii. 98 How spoil'd the bread and spill'd the wine, Which, spent with due, respective thrift, Had made brutes men and men divine. |
† b. Discriminating; partial.
Obs.| 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. i. 128 Away to heauen respectiue Lenitie, And fire and Fury, be my conduct now. 1608 Willet Hexapla Exod. ii. Ded., Your lordships respectiue care in preferring men of desert. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §47 The day that must..reduce those seeming inequalities, and respective distributions in this world, to an equality..in the next. |
† 3. Respectful, courteous, civil (
to or
towards one).
Obs. (Very common 1600–50.)
| 1579 Fenton Guicciard. i. 32 They were told with wordes reuerent and respectiue, with what naturall deuocion the people of Florence honored the house of Fraunce. 1599 Sandys Europæ Spec. (1632) 19 Being a people for the most part of a grave and stayed behaviour, very respectiue and courteous. 1628–9 Digby Voy. Medit. (Camden) 34 He desired me, in a faire and respectiue manner, to make what hast I could to be gone from thence. 1648 Gage West Ind. 148 But above all unto their Priest they are very respective. 1709 Mrs. Manley Secr. Mem. (1736) II. 234 He enter'd the Chamber with a respective Boldness becoming the Character of a Servant, faithful to his Master. 1785 T. Potter Moralist II. 33, I veiled these shining talents under the mask of a most respective politeness. |
† 4. Worthy of respect or deference; respectable.
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iv. 199 What should it be that he respects in her, But I can make respectiue in my selfe? 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. vi. iii. §6. 53 This Prince to make his estate more respectiue, caused his owne Image to bee stamped thereon. 1633 Gerard Part. Descr. Somerset (1900) 3 The ancient and respective family of Wrothe Knights who till this day live at Durants. |
5. † a. Having relationship or reference
to something; correspondent.
Obs.| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xiii. [xviii.] (Arb.) 145 The monosillable me being respectiue to the word others.., ought not to haue the same accent, as when he hath no such respect. 1600 Holland Livy iv. xlviii. 170 Some speech..framed rather to the time and present occasion, than respective to their owne high place and dignitie. 1697 J. Sergeant Solid Philos. 127 To which are Respective..one way or other, all our other Notions of the Thing which we have, or can have. |
b. Without
const. Relative. Now
rare.
| 1599 Blundevil Logicke i. xi. 33 Which are said to be relatiue or respectiue? Those that cannot be well understood of themselues without hauing relation to some other thing. 1620 T. Granger Div. Logike 12 Respectiue apprehension is of things relatiuely. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. iii. 5 The Cause Efficient..is the coldness of the Membranes, not simple but respective. |
| 1865 Pusey Truth Eng. Ch. 185 But this adoration is not absolute,..but diminished, participated, and respective. |
† c. Proper, due, fitting.
Obs. rare.
| 1605 Camden Rem. 195 The Northerne people brought to the field the Earl of Albemarle the only respective heire of those partes. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus ii. 9 When occasion of speach is offred, as by questions asked, they must make respectiue answers. |
6. Properly pertaining to, or connected with, each individual, group, etc., of those in question; separate, several, particular.
a. With possessive pronoun, usually
their.
| 1646 (title), An Ordinance of the Lords..for the Ordination of Ministers..within their respective Bounds. 1663 Butler Hud. i. ii. 666, I charge ye all..to those places straight repair Where your respective dwellings are. 1696 Whiston The. Earth iv. (1722) 323 The Waters under the heavens were now gathered together into their respective and distinct places. 1743 Emerson Fluxions 100 Taking..each of the Terms in the Quantity..and multiplying each by its respective Coefficient.., you will at last obtain this Form. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) VII. 277 All these live upon their respective plant. 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm II. 289 Those pannels..may be permanently fixed in their respective places. 1864 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. vi. (1866) 85 The practical sovereignty of all three brothers was admitted in their respective territories. |
b. With
the,
† every,
† a.
| 1647 Cromwell in Carlyle App. C. ix, After..a Copy of the Votes [had been] delivered to the Chief Officer of every respective Regiment..we desired [etc.]. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 863 This seeming very absurd, that the Souls of Brutes also should..subsist after the Deaths of the Respective Animals. 1694 Salmon Bate's Dispens. (1713) 87/1 There is no reason, that Metals and Minerals should be exempted from being repleat with a respective Oil also. 1701 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) V. 45 In boroughs where are not fifty electors the respective hundred is to join in chusing members. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. i. xi. iii. (1869) I. 221 These will always be nearly in proportion to the respective produce of different years. 1833 H. Martineau Charmed Sea i. 2 To distinguish the respective rank and quality of those who externally so nearly resembled each other. 1866 Freeman Hist. Ess. (1872) 25 We cannot fix the respective amounts of truth and falsehood from direct evidence. |
† 7. a. Looking, facing
to a certain quarter.
Obs.| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 501 Virgill condemned altogether the planting of any trees, respective to the West. |
† b. respective point,
respective line: (see
quots.).
Obs.| 1581 R. Norman New Attractive 15 This poincte Respectiue, is a certaine poincte, whiche the touched Needle doeth alwaies Respecte or shewe. Ibid. 20 The other [line] crossyng the line Respectiue at right angles is the false East and West that the varying Needle..sheweth. 1625 Carpenter Geogr. Del. i. ii. 25 The center of the Earth is not an Attractiue, but a meere Respectiue point. Ibid., A Respectiue point is that, which the Bodies in their motions doe respect and conforme themselues vnto. |
▪ II. † reˈspective, adv. Sc. Obs. [Prob. a. L. respective.] Respectively.
| 1547 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 76 Tak diligent inquisitioun of the personis..that rannderis nocht agane the said taxt to the saidis tennentis respective. 1565 Ibid. 328 Takand the burding upoun us.., ilkane of us for oure awin part respective. 1634 in Cochran-Patrick Rec. Coinage Scot. (1876) Introd. 37 As gif the samyn gifts and ilk ane of thame respectiue wer herein..incorporat. 1642 Drummond of Hawthornden Skiamachia Wks. (1711) 193 The Peace..which..we enjoy; and have established unto us..by the Laws Ecclesiastical, & Civil Laws of this Kingdom, respective. |