Crossword Genius

Correspondent recollected heartless perversions (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

responsive

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'correspondent' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?

'recollected heartless perversions' is the wordplay.
'recollected' indicates an anagram.
'heartless' means to remove the middle letters.
'perversions' with its centre removed is 'pervesions'.
'pervesions' is an anagram of 'RESPONSIVE'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for responsive that I've seen is " quick to react".)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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