relationship
Americannoun
-
relationships
plural
-
a connection, association, or involvement.
- Synonyms:
- kinship, alliance, dependence
-
connection between persons by blood or marriage.
- Synonyms:
- consanguinity, affinity
-
an emotional or other connection between people.
the relationship between teachers and students.
-
a sexual involvement; affair.
noun
-
the state of being connected or related
-
association by blood or marriage; kinship
-
the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc
a business relationship
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an emotional or sexual affair or liaison
-
logic maths another name for relation
Synonym Usage
Relationship, kinship refer to connection with others by blood or by marriage. Relationship can be applied to connection either by birth or by marriage: relationship to a ruling family. Kinship generally denotes common descent and implies a more intimate connection than relationship: the ties and obligations of kinship.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of relationship
Explanation
When you're in a relationship, you're emotionally involved or at least connected in some way. If you're related to somebody — your parents, your aunts and uncles, your cousins — you share a family relationship with them. You can also use relationship to describe dealings between various groups, as “Members of the European Union have a relationship of economic interconnectedness,” or “A lease helps define your relationship with your landlord.” You'll also see relationship used with interactions that don't directly involve people. In many of these cases, the word relation is better. For example, in the sentence "We are always looking at the relationship between ticket price and sales," it would be better to use relation.
Vocabulary lists containing relationship
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Thanks to his prolific presence in movies, shows and on screens large and small, we can keep that relationship alive too.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
Rachel says it was the start of her rebuilding a "wonderful" relationship with her mum.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
I’ve been in some form of a romantic relationship since my teens, some healthier than others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Investigators believed the woman, Alice Huang, was recruited based on her relationship with Jensen Huang.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“It’s wonderful that you and your dad have such a good relationship and that you can help him like that. It does feel wonderful when we’re acknowledged for the efforts we put in, doesn’t it?”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
One former board member, who asked not to be identified to preserve professional relationships, said the existing system yields frequent public interaction, whether it’s people speaking during meetings or via other channels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
You are making sure you dignify those relationships, in your own way.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
"But the closer these relationships are, the harder it is for one to assess true sustainable demand."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Spiering said he’s focused on disciplined spending even as the company scouts out potential acquisitions and manages relationships with governments in Iraq, Argentina and Venezuela.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
His remembrances are accepted as part of the record of Jefferson’s life and relationships with the people who labored for his “happiness,” as Jefferson once said of Monticello’s enslaved workers.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
