Home / Words / reciprocalNo. 0278

reciprocal

/rɪˈsɪprəkəl//rɪˈsɪprəkəl/·adjective
given, felt, or done by each of two sides to or for the other; mutual
Fig. 1 — Two nodes face each other across a line of symmetry.
01Definition

Reciprocal describes a relationship in which two sides give and receive in equal measure: a reciprocal agreement, reciprocal trust, reciprocal trade. From the Latin reciprocus, 'moving back and forth,' it carries the sense of a return built into the giving — what one party offers, the other answers in kind. The arrangement is meant to counteract any imbalance in which one side takes more than it gives. In mathematics it has a stricter life: the reciprocal of a number is one divided by it, so the two multiply to make one.

02In use
  • iThe two nations signed a reciprocal agreement to lower tariffs on each other's goods.
  • iiGood mentorship is reciprocal: the student learns a craft while the mentor learns to foster talent.
  • iiiTrust between colleagues is reciprocal — withdraw it from one side and the whole bond begins to deteriorate.
03Collocations
  • a reciprocal relationship
  • reciprocal agreement
  • reciprocal arrangement
  • on a reciprocal basis
  • reciprocal obligations

Family reciprocate (verb) · reciprocity (noun) · reciprocally (adverb)

04Relations

=mutual, complementary, interdependent, shared, corresponding

≠one-sided, unilateral

06TOEFL & IELTS

A high-band word for describing two-way relationships in TOEFL/IELTS essays — far stronger than 'both ways.' It shines in arguments about cooperation, trade, and social bonds ('a reciprocal obligation between citizen and state'). Mind the stress (re-CIP-ro-cal) and spelling. Remember its mathematical sense too: in TOEFL science contexts the reciprocal of a quantity means one over it.

07Asked
What does reciprocal mean in a relationship?
That the giving runs both ways and each side's giving answers the other's: effort met with effort, trust with trust. Psychologists treat reciprocity as the norm healthy relationships run on — favours create gentle obligations, and imbalances get noticed. Its opposite has its own vocabulary: a one-sided or unreciprocated bond is precisely one where the return never comes.
What's the difference between reciprocal and mutual?
Mutual is shared; reciprocal is exchanged. Mutual respect is one respect both parties hold, a mutual friend one person both know — the sharing can sit perfectly still. Reciprocal implies traffic: what one side sends, the other sends back. The scene above is reciprocity drawn: two mirrored nodes, and neither can make a move the other doesn't answer.
What does reciprocate mean?
To return in kind — the verb that performs what the adjective describes: reciprocate a favour, an invitation, feelings. Its shadow is the word's most famous use: unreciprocated (or unrequited) love, giving with no return traffic. In formal prose it upgrades 'give back' the way reciprocal upgrades 'both ways' — same idea, wearing a suit.
What is reciprocity?
The principle of matched exchange, and a working term in three fields at once. Diplomacy: visa reciprocity — we admit yours as you admit ours. Anthropology: gift economies run on obligatory return. Social psychology: the reciprocity norm — people repay favours, which is why free samples work. One noun, one rule underneath: giving creates a debt the other side is expected to answer.
Why is 1/x called the reciprocal in math?
Because the two numbers answer each other: a number and its reciprocal multiply to exactly 1, each undoing what the other does — four and a quarter, two-thirds and three-halves. Mathematics borrowed the everyday sense of matched exchange, not the other way round: the pair are locked in the same mirrored give-and-take the adjective describes everywhere else.