reciprocate
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reciprocate
- /ɹɪˈsɪpɹəˌkeɪt/
Where it comes from
From Latin recīprocātus, perfect passive participle of recīprocō (“to move back and forth”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from reciprocus (“back an forth, reciprocal, alternating”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), itself possibly from a phrase such as reque proque (“back and forth”), from re- (“back”), prō (“forwards”) and -que (“and”). See also reciprocal. Compare French réciproquer.
verb reciprocates · reciprocating · reciprocated
- To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing. The USTR isn't reciprocating actual tariffs. It's just placing the biggest tariffs on the countries running the biggest trade surpluses.
- To give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal gift. I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly.
- To move backwards and forwards, like a piston. a reciprocating engine
- To counter, retort or retaliate.
Similar: give as good as one gets, reciprocate, respond in kind
Thesaurus
verb
Similar: give as good as one gets, reciprocate, respond in kind
Translations
Every language
verb to mutually give and take something; to interchange
| Español | reciprocar, corresponder |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 返す kaesu, 交換する kōkan-suru |
| 中文 | 報答 /报答 bàodá, 往復 /往复 wǎngfù, 回報 /回报 huíbào |
| Português | reciprocar, trocar |
| Français | donner en retour, réciproquer, rendre la pareille |
| Italiano | reciprocare |
| Русский | обмениваться obmenivatʹsja, отвеча́ть otvečátʹ |
| العربية | بَادَلَ bādala |
verb to give something in response
| Español | recompensar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 報答 /报答 bàodá |
| Português | retribuir |
| Deutsch | erwidern |
| Русский | вернуться vernutʹsja, возвращаться vozvraščatʹsja, воздавать vozdavatʹ, воздать vozdatʹ, возмещать vozmeščatʹ, возместить vozmestitʹ |
| العربية | تَبَادَلَ tabādala, رَدَّ radda |
verb to move backwards and forwards, like a piston
| Português | alternar |
|---|
Talk about this word "reciprocate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/reciprocate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. reciprocate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/reciprocate "reciprocate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/reciprocate.Cite this
@misc{reciprocate_2026,
title = {reciprocate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/reciprocate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
