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relief

1
[ ri-leef ]
/ rɪˈlif /
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noun

OTHER WORDS FOR relief

1 mitigation, comfort, assuagement.
3 succor, aid.

OPPOSITES FOR relief

1 intensification.
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Idioms about relief

    on relief, receiving financial assistance from a municipal, state, or federal government because of poverty or need.

Origin of relief

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English relef(e), releffe, relief(e), from Old French relief, relef(e), derivative of relever “to raise”; see origin at relieve

OTHER WORDS FROM relief

re·lief·less, adjective

Other definitions for relief (2 of 2)

relief2
[ ri-leef ]
/ rɪˈlif /

noun
prominence, distinctness, or vividness due to contrast.
the projection of a figure or part from the ground or plane on which it is formed, as in sculpture or similar work.
a piece or work in such projection.
an apparent projection of parts in a painting, drawing, etc., giving the appearance of the third dimension.
Physical Geography. the differences in elevation and slope between the higher and lower parts of the land surface of a given area.
Also called relief printing. Printing. any printing process, as letterpress or flexography, in which the printing ink is transferred to paper or another printed surface from areas that are higher than the rest of the block.

Origin of relief

2
First recorded in 1600–10; from French relief, from Italian rilievo; see relief1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use relief in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relief

relief
/ (rɪˈliːf) /

noun

Word Origin for relief

C14: from Old French, from relever to raise up; see relieve
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
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