re·cip·ro·cal / riˈsiprəkəl/ • adj. 1. given, felt, or done in return: she was hoping for some reciprocal comment or gesture. 2. (of an agreement or obligation) bearing on or binding each of two parties equally: the treaty is a bilateral commitment with reciprocal rights and duties. ∎  Gram. (of a pronoun or verb) expressing mutual action or relationship. 3. (of a course or bearing) differing from a given course or bearing by 180 degrees. 4. Math. (of a quantity or function) related to another so that their product is one. • n. 1. technical a mathematical expression or function so related to another that their product is one; the quantity obtained by dividing the number one by a given quantity. 2. Gram. a pronoun or verb expressing mutual action or relationship, e.g., each other, fight. DERIVATIVES: re·cip·ro·cal·i·ty / riˌsiprəˈkalətē/ n. re·cip·ro·cal·ly / -ək(ə)lē/ adv.

RECIPROCAL

Bilateral; two-sided; mutual; interchanged.

Reciprocal obligations are duties owed by one individual to another and vice versa. A reciprocal contract is one in which the parties enter into mutual agreements.

Reciprocal laws are statutes of one state that give rights and privileges to the citizens of another state if that state extends similar privileges to the citizens of the first state. A common example is the Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act, which is a uniform law adopted in a majority of jurisdictions, by which a tribunal in the state where a wife or mother resides is able to commence proceedings for child support against a husband or father who resides in another state.

reciprocal done in return; inversely related XVI; corresponding to each other; (gram.) reflexive XVII. f. L. reciprocus moving backwards and forwards, alternating:- *recoprocos, f. *recos + *procos, f. (respectively) RE- and PRO-1; see -AL1.
So reciprocate (-ATE3) XVII. f. pp. stem of L. reciprocāre. reciprocation XVI. — F. or L. reciprocity XVIII. — F.

reciprocal adj.
1. (of an agreement or obligation) bearing on or binding each of two parties equally: the treaty is a bilateral commitment with reciprocal rights and duties.

2. (of a course or bearing) differing from a given course or bearing by 180 degrees.

reciprocal Quantity equal to the number 1 divided by a specified number. The reciprocal of 2 is ¹/₂, and the reciprocal of ¹/₂ is 2.

reciprocal •cackle, crackle, grackle, hackle, jackal, mackle, shackle, tackle •ankle, rankle •Gaskell, mascle, paschal •tabernacle • ramshackle •débâcle, diarchal, matriarchal, monarchal, patriarchal, sparkle •rascal •deckle, freckle, heckle, Jekyll, shekel, speckle •faecal (US fecal), treacle •chicle, fickle, mickle, nickel, pickle, prickle, sickle, strickle, tickle, trickle •besprinkle, crinkle, sprinkle, tinkle, twinkle, winkle, wrinkle •fiscal •laical, Pharisaical •vehicle • stoical • cubicle • radical •medical, paramedical •Druidical, juridical, veridical •syndical •methodical, periodical, rhapsodical, synodical •Talmudical • graphical • pontifical •magical, tragical •strategical •alogical, illogical, logical •dramaturgical, liturgical, metallurgical, surgical •anarchical, hierarchical, monarchical, oligarchical •psychical •angelical, evangelical, helical •umbilical • biblical • encyclical •diabolical, follicle, hyperbolical, symbolical •dynamical, hydrodynamical •academical, agrochemical, alchemical, biochemical, chemical, petrochemical, photochemical, polemical •inimical • rhythmical • seismical •agronomical, anatomical, astronomical, comical, economical, gastronomical, physiognomical •botanical, Brahmanical, mechanical, puritanical, sanicle, tyrannical •ecumenical •geotechnical, pyrotechnical, technical •clinical, cynical, dominical, finical, Jacobinical, pinnacle, rabbinical •canonical, chronicle, conical, ironical •tunicle • pumpernickel • vernicle •apical • epical •atypical, prototypical, stereotypical, typical •misanthropical, semi-tropical, subtropical, topical, tropical •theatrical •chimerical, clerical, hemispherical, hysterical, numerical, spherical •calendrical •asymmetrical, diametrical, geometrical, metrical, symmetrical, trimetrical •electrical • ventricle •empirical, lyrical, miracle, panegyrical, satirical •cylindrical •ahistorical, allegorical, categorical, historical, metaphorical, oratorical, phantasmagorical, rhetorical •auricle • rubrical • curricle •classical, fascicle, neoclassical •farcical • vesicle •indexical, lexical •commonsensical, nonsensical •bicycle, icicle, tricycle •paradoxical • Popsicle • versicle •anagrammatical, apostatical, emblematical, enigmatical, fanatical, grammatical, mathematical, piratical, prelatical, problematical, sabbatical •impractical, practical, syntactical, tactical •canticle •ecclesiastical, fantastical •article, particle •alphabetical, arithmetical, heretical, hypothetical, metathetical, metical, parenthetical, poetical, prophetical, reticle, synthetical, theoretical •dialectical •conventicle, identical •sceptical (US skeptical) • testicle •analytical, apolitical, critical, cryptanalytical, diacritical, eremitical, geopolitical, hypercritical, hypocritical, political, socio-political, subcritical •deistical, egoistical, logistical, mystical, papistical •optical, synoptical •aeronautical, nautical, vortical •cuticle, pharmaceutical, therapeutical •vertical • ethical • mythical • clavicle •periwinkle • lackadaisical •metaphysical, physical, quizzical •whimsical • musical •Carmichael, cervical, cycle, Michael •unicycle • monocycle • motorcycle •cockle, grockle •corncockle • snorkel •bifocal, focal, local, univocal, varifocal, vocal, yokel •archducal, coucal, ducal, pentateuchal •buckle, chuckle, knuckle, muckle, ruckle, suckle, truckle •peduncle, uncle •parbuckle • carbuncle • turnbuckle •pinochle • furuncle • honeysuckle •demoniacal, maniacal, megalomaniacal, paradisiacal, zodiacal •manacle • barnacle • cenacle •binnacle • monocle • epochal •reciprocal •coracle, oracle •spectacle •pentacle, tentacle •receptacle • obstacle • equivocal •circle, encircle •semicircle