Standard Lemma guide

reciprocity

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˌrɛsəˈprɑsəti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH2 S IH0 P R AA1 S IH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The characteristic of being reciprocal, e.g. of a relationship between people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • In a friendship, reciprocity occurs where the contribution of each party meets the expectations of the other party.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A reciprocal relationship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Near-synonym: reciprocation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reciprocation

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A relation of mutual dependence or action or influence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A reciprocal construction involves two noun phrases where each of the participants occupies both the role of agent and patient with respect to the other. see: Wikipedia:Reciprocal pronoun.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The mutual exchange of rights, privileges or obligations between nations. see: Wikipedia:Reciprocity (international relations).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: international law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The responses of individuals to the actions of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

mutual exchange of commercial or other privileges

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interchange, reciprocation, give-and-take

8

noun

Meaning 8

a relation of mutual dependence or action or influence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reciprocality

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relation

Narrower terms: complementarity, correlation, correlativity, mutuality, interdependence, interdependency, mutualness, reciprocal

History

Etymology

From French réciprocité.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: взаимност (vzaimnost) — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Catalan: reciprocitat — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 对等 (duìděng) — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Czech: reciprocita — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Dutch: wederkerigheid — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Finnish: vastavuoroisuus — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • French: réciprocité — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Galician: reciprocidade — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • German: Gegenseitigkeit — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • German: Reziprozität — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • German: Umkehrbarkeit — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Greek: αμοιβαιότητα (amoivaiótita) — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Hebrew: הֲדָדִיּוּת (hadadiut) — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Indonesian: kesalingan — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Indonesian: resiprositas — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Indonesian: timbal balik — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Lithuanian: savitarpis — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Malay: kesalingan — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Malay: ketimbalbalikan — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjensidighet — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Polish: obopólność — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Polish: obustronność — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Polish: wzajemność — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Romanian: reciprocitate — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Russian: взаи́мность (vzaímnostʹ) — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Spanish: reciprocidad — the state or quality of being reciprocal
  • Volapük: rezip — the state or quality of being reciprocal