respectfully

Language: en

🇺🇸 /rɪˈspɛktfəliː/

📖 Definitions

  1. adverb
    In a manner showing respect, deference, or politeness toward someone.; Used as a formal closing in letters or correspondence, often as 'respectfully yours'.

🔗 Details

Word forms

Comparative: more respectfully Superlative: most respectfully

Collocations

respectfully submittedrespectfully requestrespectfully disagreerespectfully suggestyours respectfullyrespectfully decline

Derivatives

respectrespectfulrespectablerespectablyrespectabilitydisrespectfuldisrespectfullyrespectiverespectivelyrespecter

Synonyms

courteouslypolitelydeferentiallyreverentlyregardfully

Antonyms

disrespectfullyrudelyimpolitelyirreverently

Commonly confused

respectively
EN: 'Respectfully' means with courtesy or deference; 'respectively' means in the order previously mentioned (e.g., 'Alice and Bob scored 90 and 80, respectively').
respectfully
EN: 'Respectfully' (with -ful-) relates to showing respect; 'respectively' (with -ive-) relates to sequential order.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'respectfully' (showing respect) with 'respectively' (in the order stated). This is one of the most common word-choice errors in formal writing.

💬 Examples

  1. The student respectfully disagreed with the professor's interpretation.

  2. Respectfully, John Smith, Secretary of Defense.