reciprocate

[ri-sip-ruh-keyt]

verb (used with object)

reciprocated, reciprocating 

1. to give, feel, etc., in return.

   Synonyms: retaliate, respond, return

2. to give and receive reciprocally; interchange.

   to reciprocate favors.

3. to cause to move alternately backward and forward.

verb (used without object)

reciprocated, reciprocating 

1. to make a return, as for something given.

2. to make interchange.

3. to be correspondent.

4. to move alternately backward and forward.

reciprocate

/ rɪˈsɪprəˌkeɪt /

verb

1. to give or feel in return

2. to move or cause to move backwards and forwards

3. (intr) to be correspondent or equivalent

Other Word Forms

• reciprocative adjective
• reciprocatory adjective
• reciprocator noun
• nonreciprocating adjective
• unreciprocating adjective
• reciprocation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reciprocate¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin reciprocātus, past participle of reciprocāre “to move back and forth”; -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of reciprocate¹

C17: from Latin reciprocāre , from reciprocus _reciprocal

Example Sentences

The new Green leader reciprocated with public praise for Corbyn on Radio 4 shortly afterwards.

From BBC

In his Instagram story, McCaffrey reciprocated the sentiment, posting a photo of himself holding his baby girl.

From Los Angeles Times

Lula's government said it would reciprocate - probably meaning tariffs on American products.

From BBC

Reacting to the cut, former president Muhammadu Buhari’s aide said he believes US is not reciprocating but showing discomfort with Nigeria.

From BBC

The warmth was reciprocated, with Prince William talking about the strengths of working together.

From BBC

Related Words

• repay 
• retaliate 

When To Use

What does reciprocate mean?

To reciprocate is to do something in response to an action in a way that corresponds or is somehow equivalent to that action.This is often positive. For example, when you are shown affection by a loved one, you can reciprocate by showing affection back. When someone does you a favor, you can reciprocate by doing something nice for them. However, reciprocating can also be negative. For example, if someone insults you, you may reciprocate by insulting them back or doing something else to get back at them.A much more informal way of saying reciprocate is the verb phrase return the favor. A noun form of reciprocate is reciprocation, which refers to the act of reciprocating or a specific instance of it, as in This gift is reciprocation for all your support. Actions or relationships involving reciprocation can be described as reciprocal. The related word reciprocity often refers to a reciprocal state or relation, or to the mutual exchange of things.More specifically, reciprocate can mean to give and receive things back and forth, or to interchange things. More generally, it can mean to move or cause to move alternately forward and backward, but this sense of the word is less common.Example: My neighbors helped me with my garden, so I reciprocated by making them dinner.