MEANING
1. To return a gesture, feeling, or action with a corresponding response.
2. To move repeatedly backward and forward along the same path.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- reciprocate affection
- reciprocate a gesture
On the page
She appreciated the invitation but could not reciprocate.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- reciprocate
- Past tense
- reciprocated
- Past participle
- reciprocated
- Present participle
- reciprocating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- reciprocate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are reciprocating
- Present perfect
- have/has reciprocated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been reciprocating
- Past
- reciprocated
- Past continuous
- was/were reciprocating
- Past perfect
- had reciprocated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been reciprocating
- Future
- will reciprocate
- Future continuous
- will be reciprocating
- Future perfect
- will have reciprocated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been reciprocating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: reciprocate; reciprocates; reciprocated; reciprocated; reciprocating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, qualification. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: reciprocates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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