Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

relationship

American  
[ri-ley-shuhn-ship] / rɪˈleɪ ʃənˌʃɪp /

noun

  1. a connection, association, or involvement.

    Synonyms:
    kinship, alliance, dependence
  2. connection between persons by blood or marriage.

    Synonyms:
    consanguinity, affinity
  3. an emotional or other connection between people.

    the relationship between teachers and students.

  4. a sexual involvement; affair.


relationship British  
/ rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp /

noun

  1. the state of being connected or related

  2. association by blood or marriage; kinship

  3. the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc

    a business relationship

  4. an emotional or sexual affair or liaison

  5. logic maths another name for relation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

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

  • prerelationship noun

Etymology

Origin of relationship

First recorded in 1735–45; relation + -ship

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.

Mistakes, big and small, can result in a loss of reader trust, harmed source relationships and, in some cases, litigation.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We have a temporary disagreement, but I think that the relationship between the U.S. and Spain is closer than ever,” Sánchez told the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The system will allow merchants to retain ownership of customer relationships and data, and receive ChatGPT referral attribution in their admin.

From The Wall Street Journal

"This will have no impact on the strength and close nature of our bilateral relationship with France," the presidency spokesperson said.

From Barron's

"As ministers, our focus should be on reforms that would make the WTO more responsive to members and improve our ability to achieve outcomes that optimise our trading relationships."

From Barron's