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Respective vs Despective - What's the difference?

respective | despective |

As adjectives the difference between respective and despective

is that respective is relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own while despective is disparaging, derogatory; looking down upon.

As a noun despective is

a disparaging/derogatory word or form of a word; a word or form indicative of the speaker's tendency to look down on the referent.

respective

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.
    • They returned to their respective places of abode.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=August 23 , author=Alasdair Lamont , title=Hearts 0-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Adam and Novikovas swapped long-range efforts, neither of which troubled the respective keepers.}}
  • (obsolete) Noticing with attention; careful; wary.
  • * Archbishop Sandys
    • If you look upon the church of England with a respective eye, you can not refuse this charge.
  • (obsolete) Looking toward; having reference to; relative, not absolute.
    • the respective connections of society
  • (obsolete) Fitted to awaken respect.
  • * 1599 , , IV. iv. 192:
    • What should it be that he respects in her / But I can make respective in myself,
  • (obsolete) Rendering respect; respectful; regardful.
  • * Chapman
    • With respective shame, rose, took us by the hands.
  • * Lord Burleigh
    • With thy equals familiar, yet respective .

    Synonyms

    * (relating to particular persons or things) corresponding, relevant, specific

    Derived terms

    * respectiveness * irrespective

    despective

    English

    Adjective

  • Disparaging, derogatory; looking down upon.
    • a despective term for ‘surgeon’

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (lb) A disparaging/derogatory word or form of a word; a word or form indicative of the speaker's tendency to look down on the referent.