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

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, whose shares have long been listed in the U.S., trades at a higher price relative to its earnings compared with SK Hynix.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026

The first chart below compares the long-term average carry available relative to volatility for major currency pairs with how sensitive each pair has been to moves in the S&P 500 from 2000 through 2026.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026

Morgan expects the German medical technology company to report improved orders when it releases 3Q data on July 31, particularly relative to peer company Philips.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

The savings relative to the time frame means they need to plan for at least 20 years for the younger spouse, and possibly up to 30 years.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026

If she wants to leave again, he says, she will have to provide a “complete understanding relative to her movements.”

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly