reciprocation
noun
Reciprocation — the answering gesture that returns what was first given
Definition
Mutual interaction; the activity of reciprocating or exchanging (especially information)
In depth
Reciprocation is mutual interaction, the act of reciprocating or exchanging something in kind, particularly the returning of a gesture, favor, or feeling offered first by another. The word carries an implicit sense of balance and fairness, the social expectation that giving will, eventually, be met with giving in return.
Origin
The word descends from Latin reciprocus, returning the same way, alternating, formed from re- (back) and pro- (forward) combined with an old sense of movement to and fro. That image of motion swinging back and forth, like a pendulum, underlies the word's enduring sense of balanced, answering exchange.
Usage examples
"He had offered his friendship freely, never once expecting reciprocation, though it came eventually all the same."
"The treaty established formal reciprocation of trade privileges between the two nations."
"She waited, with growing anxiety, for some reciprocation of the feelings she had so carefully confessed."
How to use it
Reciprocation suits formal and emotionally charged writing alike, particularly effective in narrative moments concerning unrequited feeling, where the absence or arrival of reciprocation often drives significant tension.
Related concepts
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