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Definition of respect verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

respect

verb
 
/rɪˈspekt/
 
/rɪˈspekt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they respect
 
/rɪˈspekt/
 
/rɪˈspekt/
he / she / it respects
 
/rɪˈspekts/
 
/rɪˈspekts/
past simple respected
 
/rɪˈspektɪd/
 
/rɪˈspektɪd/
past participle respected
 
/rɪˈspektɪd/
 
/rɪˈspektɪd/
-ing form respecting
 
/rɪˈspektɪŋ/
 
/rɪˈspektɪŋ/
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  1. (not usually used in the progressive tenses) respect somebody/something to have a very good opinion of somebody/something; to admire somebody/something
    • I respect Jack's opinion on most subjects.
    • She was a much loved and highly respected teacher.
    • respect somebody/something for something She had always been honest with me, and I respect her for that.
    Extra Examples
    • She is someone I hugely admire and respect.
    • She is widely respected as a politician.
    • He is respected among his peers as an educator.
    • She was much respected for her knowledge of herbs.
    • WWF is internationally respected for its conservation work.
    • The organization's work is universally respected.
    • As a psychologist, his work was known and respected throughout the world.
    • Jon is hugely respected by everyone who works with him.
    • His passion for the sport is greatly respected.
    • Your judgement is something I deeply respect.
    • I really respected the fact that she asked for permission.
    • He wrote an article for the respected journal Science.
    • The author is an internationally respected scholar.
    • She is a well respected political journalist and her views should be taken seriously.
    • respected village elders
    • a highly respected doctor
    • I don't agree with her, but I respect her for sticking to her principles.
    • Hamilton was respected for his encyclopedic knowledge of the baseball's history.
    • I respect you for your honesty.
    Topics Successb1, Opinion and argumentb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • deeply
    • greatly
    • really
    preposition
    • as
    • for
    phrases
    • be highly respected
    • be much respected
    • be very respected
    See full entry
  2. respect something to be careful about something; to make sure you do not do something that might be considered wrong
    • Employers must respect employees' privacy.
    • to respect other people’s property
    • I respect your right to disagree.
    • She promised to respect our wishes.
    Extra Examples
    • He doesn't respect other people's right to privacy.
    • Her daughters failed to respect her last wishes.
    • Racist language is offensive and fails to respect the dignity of all people.
    • We respect intellectual freedom and freedom of speech.
    • They deeply respect the planet and all life on it.
    • He respects jazz tradition but is not interested in mere revivalism.
    • The renovation project respected the historic integrity of the original building.
    • He recognises and respects the rich diversity of cultural difference.
    • The curriculum clearly makes an effort to respect different cultures and languages.
    • The government must respect the autonomy of the voluntary sector.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • fully
    verb + respect
    • promise to
    • undertake to
    • fail to
    phrases
    • a duty to respect something
    • failure to respect something
    See full entry
  3. respect something to agree not to break a law, principle, etc.
    • The new leader has promised to respect the constitution.
    • The government has promised to respect human rights.
    Extra Examples
    • There is an obligation to respect the sovereignty of the host nation.
    • They say they just want everyone to respect copyright laws.
    • Sometimes you just have to respect the law.
    • an agreement between the three great powers to respect Polish territorial integrity
    • We just love playing without having to respect any rules.
    • Their approach respects the basic sustainable principle of recycling rather than replacing.
    • Natural disasters do not respect national boundaries.
    • We need business models that respect the natural laws of the digital world.
    Topics Law and justiceb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • fully
    verb + respect
    • promise to
    • undertake to
    • fail to
    phrases
    • a duty to respect something
    • failure to respect something
    See full entry
  4. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin respectus, from the verb respicere ‘look back at, regard’, from re- ‘back’ + specere ‘look at’.
See respect in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee respect in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
perspective
noun
 
 
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B2
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