relationship

[ri-ley-shuhn-ship]

noun

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.

relationship

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• prerelationship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relationship¹

First recorded in 1735–45; relation + -ship

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Oakland Acting Police Chief James Beere said that while the suspect knew of Beam, "they did not have a relationship" though the coach was "open to helping everybody in this community".

Read more on BBC

Interest in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was renewed this week after the release of more than 20,000 pages of documents from his estate.

Read more on BBC

Their relationship seems pretty normal to me, but to each his own necessity.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For all its suffocating air of unease, “Keeper” is as deep as a thimble, having little to say about relationships, toxic men or anything else.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

By the memoir’s end, that tidal wave sunders the relationship among the sisters and destroys the world of their childhood.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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