relatively
Americanadverb
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in a relative manner.
a relatively small difference.
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Archaic.
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with reference (usually followed byto ).
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in proportion (usually followed byto ).
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adverb
Etymology
Origin of relatively
Explanation
Use relatively when you want to make a statement about something compared to something else. After a zero degree day, 30 degrees might feel relatively warm. This adverb has to do with how things stack up next to each other. Relatively speaking, you could say you're tall if you're around very short people, even if you're just five five. Fat free ice cream is relatively healthy compared to other desserts, but it's still ice cream. If you've been sick for a week and you feel relatively better, you're feeling just a little better. This word only makes sense when you're comparing one thing to another.
Vocabulary lists containing relatively
Britain's Finest Hour Speech - Winston Churchill (1940)
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ly
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"Shakespeare's Life"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"This is certainly a fall from grace for a relatively high-profile family that seemingly had a lot of things going for them," Davis said.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Meta Platforms, Inc. While the $381 million total is a relatively steep figure, Meta’s total revenue last year was over $200 billion, making the fines worth just a fraction of a percentage for them.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
Shares of the company have held up relatively well during the recent market turmoil caused by the Middle East conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The chip division has been a relatively obscure part of the business and hasn’t garnered much investor attention.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
While prairie jackrabbits are capable of amazing bursts of speed—up to and over fifty miles an hour—they are relatively short-winded.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
