relationship

American  

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

noun

relationships plural

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.

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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

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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

• prerelationship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• relationships
  plural

Etymology

Origin of relationship

First recorded in 1735–45; relation + -ship

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

relationship relationships

"After going on several blind dates, I met my current husband at the end of August, and we started a serious relationship in mid-September," she said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

During his interview with Loomer, Zelensky opened up about a turning point in his relationship with Trump when they huddled at the Vatican last year at the funeral of Pope Francis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Asked by a prosecutor if she was embarrassed by her past relationship, she replied, “He was a friend. And I regret being a friend to him.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Prosecutors say Burke and Hernandez had been in a relationship for nearly two years but “broke up” in November 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

But as February became March, the nagging uncertainty Rachel had introduced into my relationship with Traveler persisted.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

As of June 30 this year, the app had 16,000 registered members -- whittled down from around 36,000 applicants -- and 760 couples in "serious relationships", according to government data released this month.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

He says attachment is often reshaped during periods of transition, particularly during adolescence, when young people begin forming close relationships beyond their family.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Research suggests that secure people tend to fare better not only in romantic relationships, but across life.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Assets and relationships cultivated over decades have been torched, and the longer the conflict lasts, the weaker Iran’s regional networks are likely to become.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Not that I really believe in love or those kinds of relationships anymore...

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• accord
• affair
• communication
• contact
• exchange
• liaison
• link
• marriage
• rapport
• relation
• tie