relation

American  

[ri-ley-shuhn] / rɪˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• relations
  plural

1. an existing connection; a significant association between or among things.

   the relation between cause and effect.

   Synonyms:

   link, tie, relationship

   Antonyms:

   independence

2. relations,

   1. the various connections between peoples, countries, etc..

      foreign relations.

   2. the various connections in which persons are brought together.

      business and social relations.

   3. sexual intercourse.

3. the mode or kind of connection between one person and another, between an individual and God, etc.

4. connection between persons by blood or marriage.

   Synonyms:

   kinship, relationship

5. a person who is related by blood or marriage; relative.

   his wife's relations.

6. the act of relating, narrating, or telling; narration.

   Synonyms:

   description, recital, recitation

7. Law. a principle whereby effect is given to an act done at one time as if it had been done at a previous time.

8. Mathematics.

   1. a property that associates two quantities in a definite order, as equality or inequality.

   2. a single- or multiple-valued function.

---

idioms

1. in / with relation to, with reference to; concerning.

   It's best to plan with relation to anticipated changes in one's earnings.

relation British  

/ rɪˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the state or condition of being related or the manner in which things are related

2. connection by blood or marriage; kinship

3. a person who is connected by blood or marriage; relative; kinsman

4. reference or regard (esp in the phrase in or with relation to )

5. the position, association, connection, or status of one person or thing with regard to another or others

6. the act of relating or narrating

7. an account or narrative

8. law the principle by which an act done at one time is regarded in law as having been done antecedently

9. law the statement of grounds of complaint made by a relator

10. logic maths

    1. an association between ordered pairs of objects, numbers, etc, such as … is greater than …

    2. the set of ordered pairs whose members have such an association

11. philosophy

    1. a relation that necessarily holds between its relata, as 4 is greater than 2

    2. a relation that does not so hold

---

relation More Idioms  

1. see poor relation; relative (in relation) to.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrelation
  noun
• prerelation
  noun
• subrelation
  noun
• relationless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• relations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of relation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English relacion, from Latin relātiōn-, stem of relātiō “a carrying back, narration, repayment”; equivalent to relate + -ion

Explanation

Relation is a word that can describe a connection — between relatives or any two entities. You might consider your cousin as your relation, and you might have strained relations with him over your grandmother's estate. The way that one thing affects another is their relation like the relation between childhood poverty and poor nutrition, for example. You can also call your relative a relation, as when you describe your great-grandfather as your oldest living relation. The phrase no relation means that even though two people share the same last name, they are not related — or aren't relations.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

relation relations

The scores were randomised, however, and had no relation to how the participants had actually slept.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

At her criminal trial - the longest murder trial in UK history - Deakin gave evidence in relation to several babies.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

They have made a series of arrests in relation to the crash and two arrests in relation to the house fire.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Newton originally developed the inverse square relation to describe motion within the Solar System.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

That I Pagliacci was only fifteen years old when Caruso popularised it on record - young in relation to opera’s extensive back catalogue - is, with the benefit of hindsight, strangely significant.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Alzheimer's Association senior vice president of medical and scientific relations.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend, which would mark his first visit to India in seven years and put the two countries’ efforts to stabilize relations in focus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Ceuta and Spain's other north African enclave, Melilla, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa, and their status has historically poisoned relations between Madrid and Rabat.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

On a break outside the courtroom, Garcia, who is studying for his master’s degree in public relations, confessed he had “no idea what anybody’s talking about.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Ignoring all her warnings, the Treasury public relations department pushed the story.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• relationship