it's all relative

[its awl rel-uh-tiv]

idiom

1. (used to suggest that something should be considered in comparison to something else and not just on its own).

   We camped on the flattest place we could find (I say flat, but it’s all relative; nothing is actually flat up there).

Word History and Origins

Origin of it's all relative¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

“I think it’s all relative,” said Roberts, a teammate of Bonds with the San Francisco Giants.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The New Yorkers publicly shared their relationship in TV specials that aired on VH1 and on Remini’s TLC series “It’s All Relative,” which aired for two seasons.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I guess it's all relative though.

Read more on BBC

“But it's all relative, like they said in the time of kings: 'The king is dead, long live the king,' so we're starting again with a new groundhog,” said Roberto Blondin, an organizer of the event.

Read more on Salon

“And if I was a mountain, it would be a little flash. So it’s all relative.”

Read more on New York Times