relatively

[ rel-uh-tiv-lee ]

/ ˈrɛl ə tɪv li /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for relatively on Thesaurus.com

adverb

in a relative manner: a relatively small difference.

Archaic.

with reference (usually followed by to).
in proportion (usually followed by to).

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of relatively

First recorded in 1555–65; relative + -ly

Words nearby relatively

relative density, relative deprivation, relative frequency, relative humidity, relative impediment, relatively, relatively prime numbers, relative major, relative majority, relative minor, relative molecular mass

How to use relatively in a sentence

This is why the relatively small amount of solar energy we collected became enough to fly day and night.
Use today’s tech solutions to meet the climate crisis and do it profitably|Walter Thompson|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
The precipitation is most likely to be relatively light, but this can be deceivingly dangerous.
Snow expected tonight, mainly south of D.C., before possible ice on Saturday|Jason Samenow, Wes Junker|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
We also recommend keeping up with your competition to develop an edge as a small business with relatively less experience.
A small business’ step-by-step guide to dominating local search in 2021|Joseph Dyson|February 10, 2021|Search Engine Watch
If you’re handed a tetrahedron, it’s relatively easy to calculate whether it has a Dehn invariant of 0 and therefore has the potential to tile space.
Undergraduates Hunt for Special Tetrahedra That Fit Together|Kevin Hartnett|February 9, 2021|Quanta Magazine

At about $3 each, microchips are relatively thrifty, but equipping hundreds or thousands of hives quickly turns impractical.
Bee theft is almost a perfect crime—but there’s a new sheriff in town|Andrew Zaleski|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
The email appears to have been a relatively common attempt to gain personal information from a wide range of unwitting victims.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?|Shane Harris|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Prices are relatively inexpensive and come in at around 135 euros for a shirt or 35 euros for hand woven boxers.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The first thing they told us was that the traffickers are now using Turkish ports, which are relatively easy to reach from Syria.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And there are other stories DuVernay could have told and still met her (relatively) modest budget of $20 million.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’|Gary May|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Even a relatively small 250-pound bomb could kill or injure friendly troops who are within 650 feet of the explosion.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their opportunities and earnings are relatively small, and in order to live they must figure closely.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
In dramatic interpretation the voice is a much more significant feature relatively than is the detail of gesture in pantomime.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The cytoplasm is relatively abundant, and contains great numbers of very fine neutrophilic granules.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The decrease affects chiefly the polymorphonuclear cells, so that the lymphocytes are relatively increased.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The penny at that time was equal to a shilling of the present day, and would, relatively, purchase as much.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell

British Dictionary definitions for relatively

relatively

/ (ˈrɛlətɪvlɪ) /

adverb

in comparison or relation to something else; not absolutely

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

relatively

Origin of relatively

Words nearby relatively

Words related to relatively

How to use relatively in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relatively