definitions

relationship

[ ri-ley-shuhn-ship ]
/ rɪˈleɪ ʃənˌʃɪp /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relationship ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a connection, association, or involvement.
connection between persons by blood or marriage.
an emotional or other connection between people: the relationship between teachers and students.
a sexual involvement; affair.

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RELATED WORDS

affair, marriage, exchange, communication, accord, rapport, liaison, contact, link, tie, relation, alliance, similarity, tie-in, homogeneity, affiliation, ratio, network, nearness, proportion

Nearby words

relatedly, relation, relational, relational database, relations, relationship, relationship marketing, relative, relative accommodation, relative aperture, relative atomic mass

Origin of relationship

First recorded in 1735–45; relation + -ship
SYNONYMS FOR relationship
1 dependence, alliance, kinship.
2 affinity, consanguinity. 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.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relationship ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formspre·re·la·tion·ship, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for relationship

British Dictionary definitions for relationship

relationship

/ (rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp) /

noun

the state of being connected or related
association by blood or marriage; kinship
the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etca business relationship
an emotional or sexual affair or liaison
logic maths another name for relation (def. 10)
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

Word Origin and History for relationship

relationship

n.

1640s, "sense or state of being related," from relation + -ship. Specifically of romantic or sexual relationships by 1944.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for relationship

relationship

[ rĭ-lā′shən-shĭp′ ]

n.

The condition or fact of being related; connection or association.
Connection by blood or marriage; kinship.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.