relative

American  

[rel-uh-tiv] / ˈrɛl ə tɪv /

noun

1. a person who is connected with another or others by blood or marriage.

2. something having, or standing in, some relation or connection to something else.

3. something dependent upon external conditions for its specific nature, size, etc. (absolute ).

4. Grammar. a relative pronoun, adjective, or adverb.

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adjective

1. considered in relation to something else; comparative.

   the relative merits of democracy and monarchy.

2. existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent.

   Happiness is relative.

3. having relation or connection.

4. having reference or regard; relevant; pertinent (usually followed byto ).

   to determine the facts relative to an accident.

5. correspondent; proportionate.

   Value is relative to demand.

6. (of a term, name, etc.) depending for significance upon something else.

   “Better” is a relative term.

7. Grammar.

   1. noting or pertaining to a word that introduces a subordinate clause of which it is, or is a part of, the subject or predicate and that refers to an expressed or implied element of the principal clause (the antecedent), as the relative pronoun who in He's the man who saw you or the relative adverb where in This is the house where she was born.

   2. noting or pertaining to a relative clause.

idioms

1. it’s all relative. it's all relative.

relative British  

/ ˈrɛlətɪv /

adjective

1. having meaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolute

   a relative value

2. (prenominal) (of a scientific quantity) being measured or stated relative to some other substance or measurement Compare absolute

   relative humidity

   relative density

3. (prenominal) comparative or respective

   the relative qualities of speed and accuracy

4. in proportion (to); corresponding (to)

   earnings relative to production

5. having reference (to); pertinent (to)

   matters not relative to the topic under discussion

6. grammar denoting or belonging to a class of words that function as subordinating conjunctions in introducing relative clauses. In English, relative pronouns and determiners include who, which, and that Compare demonstrative interrogative

7. grammar denoting or relating to a clause ( relative clause ) that modifies a noun or pronoun occurring earlier in the sentence

8. (of a musical key or scale) having the same key signature as another key or scale

   C major is the relative major of A minor

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noun

1. a person who is related by blood or marriage; relation

2. a relative pronoun, clause, or grammatical construction

Other Word Forms

• nonrelative noun
• nonrelatively adverb
• nonrelativeness noun
• relativeness noun
• unrelative adjective
• unrelatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of relative

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English relatif (noun), either from Middle French or from Late Latin relātīvus (adjective); relate, -ive

Example Sentences

Iran has lashed out at Gulf nations, long seen as a relative safe haven in a volatile region, hammering the tourism industry and crippling global air travel as their major hubs come under attack.

From Barron's

The direction of the dance relative to the sun tells other bees where to go, while the length of each movement signals the distance.

From Science Daily

Others carried photographs of relatives who never emerged from detention, with some carrying placards saying "We are still looking for you."

From Barron's

However, he said that elsewhere, there are “puzzling dislocations in relative valuation across the sector to help investors identify opportunities in parts of the market that may currently be out of favor.”

From Barron's

The company was paying about $150 million a year in hedging costs—a small amount relative to the potential savings this year.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aunt
• cousin
• father
• folk
• mother
• niece
• sibling
• uncle