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

Rising yields also increase the appeal of bonds’ stable returns relative to riskier stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

They laid out a devastating case that Europe is losing its mojo relative to America.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

“And I think what people miss about that is these companies were so cheap relative to what you could make out of them that it didn’t make any difference what oil did,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Cryptos tend to become less attractive relative to yield-bearing investments like bonds when borrowing costs rise.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It means that young black children have continued to make gains relative to their white counterparts.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt