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Synonyms

relational

American  
[ri-ley-shuh-nl] / rɪˈleɪ ʃə nl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to relations.

  2. indicating or specifying some relation.

  3. Grammar. serving to indicate relations between various elements in a sentence, as prepositions, conjunctions, etc.

relational British  
/ rɪˈleɪʃənəl /

adjective

  1. grammar indicating or expressing syntactic relation, as for example the case endings in Latin

  2. having relation or being related

  3. computing based on data stored in a tabular form

    a relational database
"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonrelational adjective
  • unrelational adjective

Etymology

Origin of relational

First recorded in 1655–65; relation + -al 1

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.

"In relational issues, we like to hide behind things," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

“When people use that term toxic friend-group, what they’re talking about is a classic clique,” said Noëlle Santorelli, a clinical psychologist in Atlanta, who specializes in relational aggression including mean-girl dynamics among teens and adults.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

In 1979, Oracle introduced the first commercial relational database, External link which essentially organizes and manages data sets, calling it Version 2 External link because he didn’t think anyone would buy a Version 1.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

But what she can do, if she wishes, is consider what's known as relational identity.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025

I just laugh, all vestiges of relational conflict shoved aside for the moment.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.