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 company has struggled to diversify revenue beyond ad sales, and it is far from clear that its subscription options will appeal to users or be attractive relative to AI offerings from competitors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Planned capital spending this year is larger relative to its market value or revenue compared with Google’s parent, Alphabet, Microsoft or Amazon.com.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Morgan analysts, it slashed its crude imports by 3.8 million barrels a day compared with year-ago levels — that’s roughly 74% of the remaining decline in global crude imports relative to the 2025 average.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Even after you pay capital-gains tax, the withdrawal should still be worth it relative to the tax drag.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

“Anywhere between eight days and a halfmonth, depending on where it is in its solar orbit relative to Gethen. It might be on the other side of the sun.”

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin