Here's a breakdown:
* You have two lists: One with items, and another with something related to those items.
* "Respectively" indicates that each item in the first list is paired with the item in the same position in the second list.
Example:
"The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue, respectively."
* List 1: Red, White, Blue
* List 2: Colors of the American flag
In this sentence, "red" corresponds to "color", "white" corresponds to "color", and "blue" corresponds to "color". We use "respectively" to make this clear.
Here are some other ways to use "respectively":
* "The winners of the first, second, and third place were John, Mary, and Michael, respectively."
* "The prices for the apples, oranges, and bananas are $1, $0.50, and $0.75, respectively."
* "The teams scored 3, 2, and 1 goals, respectively."
In essence, "respectively" ensures that the reader understands the correct pairing between elements in two or more lists.