relative to

Idioms  

1. Correspondent or proportionate to, as in Relative to its size, Boston has a great many universities, or It's important to get all the facts relative to the collision. Another form of this idiom is, meaning “in reference or with regard to,” as in Demand is high in relation to supply, or That argument changes nothing with relation to our plans for hiring workers. The usages with relative date from the second half of the 1700s, those with relation from the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

The high-torque swing emphasizes maximum rotation of Woods’ shoulders relative to his hips.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Seaspan operates long-term charters with major liners, offering stable cash flows and counter-cyclical earnings relative to shipbuilders, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

“We see Neo driving meaningful adoption for first-time Mac owners with a distinct customer base relative to the Air and Pro models,” Mohan wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Mollins added this is being driven by both vehicle units and average selling prices, but with a “smaller outperformance gap relative to forecasts from earlier in the quarter.”

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Thus time became a more personal concept, relative to the observer who measured it.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking