Respectably, Respectfully, and Respectively: The Differences in Meaning and Usage

These adverbs are all derived from the word respect, but respect has a variety of meanings. Here, in respectably and respectfully, respect means honor or esteem while in respectively, respect means considering or relating to.

Respectably means “in a manner that one can respect (honor or esteem)”—i.e. in an able-to-be-respected manner:

You should always dress respectably when teaching. (dress in a way people can respect)

Respectfully means “in a manner showing respect, or with respect”:

Please behave respectfully when you meet my parents. (show respect to the parents)

Therefore, the phrase respectfully yours at the end of a letter (or email) means “with respect for you.” This is a formal, not personal, way to sign a letter.

Respectively, in contrast, is not related to honor or esteem. It means “in relation to (what was mentioned), in order”:

Bill and Alice are 5 feet and 6 feet tall, respectively.

The idea here is “5 feet with respect to Bill and 6 feet with respect to Alice” where respect means in relation to or considering.

More Examples of “Respectably” in a Sentence

1. If human beings wish to earn our respect, they should start acting respectably.
2. CW returned respectably to Sunday nights for the first time in almost a decade.
3. You get a respectably long detection range and competent filtering to reduce false alarms.
4. Commercially, it performed respectably for a debut album, despite receiving little radio airplay.
5. The answer, beyond brushing my hair and dressing respectably, was nothing.

More Examples of “Respectfully” in a Sentence

1. We can respectfully disagree on issues without being offensive to an entire culture.
2. As a nation, we have lost the ability to respectfully disagree with one another.
3. I think there’s another half second in there you can respectfully take off.
4. Respectfully, it is time to step up and come out of the shadows.
5. Dyson said he respectfully urged her to hold off telling them the news.

More Examples of “Respectively” in a Sentence

1. They have been with the Metro since 1999, 2008, 2013 and 2014, respectively.
2. A total of 370 and 315, respectively, had been admitted through May 12.
3. Chicago covered the spread as an underdog of 8.5 and 12 points, respectively.
4. The plantation home was put up for sale in 2004 and 2007, respectively.
5. The three sections are slated to open in 2024, 2025 and 2027, respectively.