rel·a·tive
(rĕl′ə-tĭv)
adj.
1. Considered in comparison or relation to something else: an animal with a large brain relative to body size; the relative quiet of the suburbs.
2. Having pertinence or relevance; connected or related: How are those remarks relative to the discussion?
3. Grammar Referring to or qualifying an antecedent, as the pronoun who in the man who was on TV or that in the dictionary that I use.
4. Music Having the same key signature. Used of major and minor scales and keys: A minor is the relative minor of C major.
n.
1.
a. A person related to another by heredity, adoption, or marriage.
b. A species or other taxon that shares a common ancestor, usually a relatively recent ancestor, with another: The jaguar is a relative of the lion.
2. Grammar A relative pronoun.
[Middle English, from Old French relatif, from Late Latin relātīvus, from Latin relātus, past participle of referre, to relate; see relate.]
rel′a·tive·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
relative
(ˈrɛlətɪv)
adj
1. having meaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolute: a relative value.
2. (prenominal) (of a scientific quantity) being measured or stated relative to some other substance or measurement: relative humidity; relative density. Compare absolute10
3. (prenominal) comparative or respective: the relative qualities of speed and accuracy.
4. (foll by: to) in proportion (to); corresponding (to): earnings relative to production.
5. having reference (to); pertinent (to): matters not relative to the topic under discussion.
6. (Grammar) grammar denoting or belonging to a class of words that function as subordinating conjunctions in introducing relative clauses. In English, relative pronouns and determiners include who, which, and that. Compare demonstrative5, interrogative3
7. (Grammar) grammar denoting or relating to a clause (relative clause) that modifies a noun or pronoun occurring earlier in the sentence
8. (Music, other) (of a musical key or scale) having the same key signature as another key or scale: C major is the relative major of A minor.
n
9. a person who is related by blood or marriage; relation
10. (Grammar) a relative pronoun, clause, or grammatical construction
[C16: from Late Latin relātīvus referring]
ˈrelativeness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
rel•a•tive
(ˈrɛl ə tɪv)
n.
1. a person who is connected with another by blood or marriage.
2. something having, or standing in, some relation to something else.
3. something dependent upon external conditions for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to absolute).
4. a relative pronoun, adjective, or adverb.
adj.
5. considered in relation to something else; comparative: the relative merits of gas and electric heating.
6. existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent: Happiness is relative.
7. having relation or connection.
8. having reference; relevant; pertinent (usu. fol. by to): the facts relative to the case.
9. correspondent; proportionate.
10. depending for significance upon something else: “Better” is a relative term.
11. of or designating a word that introduces a subordinate clause and refers to an expressed or implied element of the principal clause: the relative pronoun who in “That was the woman who called”; the relative adverb where in “This is the house where I was born.”
12. (of a musical key) having the same key signature as another key: a relative minor.
[1350–1400; Middle English relatif (n.) (< Middle French) < Late Latin relātīvus (adj.); see relate, -ive]
rel′a•tive•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
relation
– relative – relationship
These words are used to refer to people or to connections between people.
1. ‘relation’ and ‘relative’
Your relations or relatives are the members of your family.
I said that I was a relation of her first husband.
I’m going to visit some relatives.
The relations between people or groups are the contacts between them and the way they behave towards each other.
Relations between the two men had not improved.
Britain has close relations with the US.
2. ‘relationship’
You can talk in a similar way about the relationship between two people or groups.
The old relationship between the friends was quickly re-established.
Senor Zapatero has shown that he is keen to have a close relationship with Britain.
A relationship is also a close friendship between two people, especially one involving sexual or romantic feelings.
When the relationship ended two months ago, he was very upset.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  relative — a person related by blood or marriage; «police are searching for relatives of the deceased»; «he has distant relations back in New Jersey»
relation individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul — a human being; «there was too much for one person to do» kin group, kindred, kinship group, clan, kin, tribe — group of people related by blood or marriage ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root — someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent) cousin, cousin-german, first cousin, full cousin — the child of your aunt or uncle descendant, descendent — a person considered as descended from some ancestor or race in-law, relative-in-law — a relative by marriage blood relation, blood relative, cognate, sib — one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another kin, kinsperson, family — a person having kinship with another or others; «he’s kin»; «he’s family» enate, matrikin, matrilineal kin, matrilineal sib, matrisib — one related on the mother’s side agnate, patrikin, patrilineal kin, patrilineal sib, patrisib — one related on the father’s side kinsman — a male relative kinswoman — a female relative kissing cousin, kissing kin — a more or less distant relative; familiar enough to be greeted with a kiss next of kin — the person who is (or persons who are) most closely related to a given person offspring, progeny, issue — the immediate descendants of a person; «she was the mother of many offspring»; «he died without issue» second cousin — a child of a first cousin sib, sibling — a person’s brother or sister better half, married person, partner, spouse, mate — a person’s partner in marriage |
| 2. | relative — an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)
congenator, congeneric, congener organism, being — a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently |
|
| Adj. | 1. | relative — estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete; «a relative stranger»
comparative absolute — perfect or complete or pure; «absolute loyalty»; «absolute silence»; «absolute truth»; «absolute alcohol» |
| 2. | relative — properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to’; «the punishment ought to be proportional to the crime»; «earnings relative to production»
proportional proportionate — being in due proportion; «proportionate representation of a minority group» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
relative
noun
1. relation, connection, kinsman or kinswoman, member of your or the family Do relatives of yours still live in Siberia?
adjective
3. (with to) in proportion to, corresponding to, proportionate to, proportional to The satellite remains in one spot relative to the earth’s surface.
Quotations
«Every man sees in his relatives, and especially in his cousins, a series of grotesque caricatures of himself» [H.L. Mencken Prejudices]
«When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity» [Albert Einstein]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
relative
adjective
1. Estimated by comparison:
2. Determined or to be determined by someone or something else:
noun
A person connected to another person by blood or marriage:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
أحد الأقْرِباء، أحد أفراد العائِلَهضَمير الصِّلَهقَريبنِسْبي
příbuznývztažný-ápoměrný
forholdsmæssighenførendepårørenderelativslægtning
sukulainen
rodrođak
relatívrokonviszonylagosvonatkozó
ættingií samanburîi viîskyldmennitilvísunar-
親戚
친척
vzťažný
sorazmerensorodnik
släktingrelativ
เครือญาติ
họ hàng
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
relative
[ˈrɛlətɪv]
n → parent(e) m/f
all her relatives
BUT toute sa famille.
my close relatives → mes proches parents
adj
(= respective) → respectif/ive
the relative merits of London and Paris → les mérites respectifs de Londres et Parisrelative clause n → (proposition f) relative f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
relative
adj
(= relevant) relative to → sich beziehend auf (+acc)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
relative
[ˈrɛlətɪv]
1. adj (comparative) (Gram) → relativo/a; (connected) relative to → legato/a a
the relative merits of X and Y → i meriti rispettivi di X e Y
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
relate
(rəˈleit) verb
1. to tell (a story etc). He related all that had happened to him.
2. (with to) to be about, concerned or connected with. Have you any information relating to the effect of penicillin on mice?
3. (with to) to behave towards. He finds it difficult to relate normally to his mother.
reˈlated adjective
1. belonging to the same family (as). I’m related to the Prime Minister; The Prime Minister and I are related.
2. connected. other related topics.
reˈlation noun
1. a person who belongs to the same family as oneself either by birth or because of marriage. uncles, aunts, cousins and other relations.
2. a relationship (between facts, events etc).
3. (in plural) contact and communications between people, countries etc. to establish friendly relations.
reˈlationship noun
1. the friendship, contact, communications etc which exist between people. He finds it very difficult to form lasting relationships.
2. the fact that, or the way in which, facts, events etc are connected. Is there any relationship between crime and poverty?
3. the state of being related by birth or because of marriage.
relative (ˈrelətiv) noun
a member of one’s family; a relation. All his relatives attended the funeral.
adjective
1. compared with something else, or with each other, or with a situation in the past etc. the relative speeds of a car and a train; She used to be rich but now lives in relative poverty.
2. (of a pronoun, adjective or clause) referring back to something previously mentioned. the girl who sang the song; the girl who sang the song.
relatively (ˈrelətivli) adverb
when compared to someone or something else. He seems relatively happy now; This is a fairly unimportant problem, relatively speaking.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
relative
→ قَريب příbuzný slægtning Verwandter συγγενής pariente sukulainen parent rođak parente 親戚 친척 familielid slektning krewny parente родственник släkting เครือญาติ göreceli họ hàng 亲戚
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
relative
1. n. pariente, familiar;
2. gr. pronombre relativo;
a. relativo-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
relative
n familiar mf, pariente mf; blood — pariente consanguíneo (form), pariente que tiene antepasados en común (con uno); [Note: The RAE lists familiar as masculine only, but feminine usage when referring to females is the norm.]
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
- Dictionary
- R
- Relatives
Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [rel—uh-tiv]
- /ˈrɛl ə tɪv/
- /ˈrel.ə.tɪv/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [rel—uh-tiv]
- /ˈrɛl ə tɪv/
Definitions of relatives word
- noun relatives a person who is connected with another or others by blood or marriage. 1
- noun relatives something having, or standing in, some relation or connection to something else. 1
- noun relatives something dependent upon external conditions for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to absolute). 1
- noun relatives Grammar. a relative pronoun, adjective, or adverb. 1
- adjective relatives considered in relation to something else; comparative: the relative merits of democracy and monarchy. 1
- adjective relatives existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent: Happiness is relative. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of relatives
First appearance:
before 1350
One of the 20% oldest English words
1350-1400; Middle English relatif (noun) (< Middle French) < Late Latin relātīvus (adj.); see relate, -ive
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Relatives
relatives popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student’s vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
Synonyms for relatives
noun relatives
- family — the children of one person or one couple collectively: We want a large family.
- flesh and blood — offspring or relatives: one’s own flesh and blood.
- folks — Usually, folks. (used with a plural verb) people in general: Folks say there wasn’t much rain last summer.
- in-law — a relative by marriage.
- inlaw — to restore (an outlaw) to the benefits and protection of the law.
Top questions with relatives
- when the relatives came?
- how to find relatives?
- how to trace relatives for free?
- how to deal with nasty relatives?
- what does it mean to dream about the dead relatives?
See also
- All definitions of relatives
- Synonyms for relatives
- Related words to relatives
- Sentences with the word relatives
- relatives pronunciation
Matching words
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Other forms: relatives
A relative is a person who is part of your family. Parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, nieces and nephews — they’re all relatives.
A relative can be connected to your family through blood or by marriage. If you are a child or grandchild of Maria’s, for example, you are a blood relative of her family. If you marry Maria’s son, you become a relative by marriage. Relative is also an adjective that means «estimated by comparison,» like the steep hill that is tiny, relative to the mountain behind it.
Definitions of relative
-
adjective
estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete
“a
relative stranger”-
synonyms:
comparative
-
relational
having a relation or being related
-
relational
-
adjective
properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to’
“earnings
relative to production”-
synonyms:
proportional
-
proportionate
being in due proportion
-
proportionate
-
noun
a person related by blood or marriage
“police are searching for
relatives of the deceased”-
synonyms:
relation
see moresee less-
types:
- show 55 types…
- hide 55 types…
-
ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root
someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
-
cousin, cousin-german, first cousin, full cousin
the child of your aunt or uncle
-
descendant, descendent
a person considered as descended from some ancestor or race
-
in-law, relative-in-law
a relative by marriage
-
blood relation, blood relative, cognate, sib
one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another
-
family, kin, kinsperson
a person having kinship with another or others
-
enate, matrikin, matrilineal kin, matrilineal sib, matrisib
one related on the mother’s side
-
agnate, patrikin, patrilineal kin, patrilineal sib, patrisib
one related on the father’s side
-
kinsman
a male relative
-
kinswoman
a female relative
-
kissing cousin, kissing kin
a more or less distant relative; familiar enough to be greeted with a kiss
-
next of kin
the person who is (or persons who are) most closely related to a given person
-
issue, offspring, progeny
the immediate descendants of a person
-
second cousin
a child of your parent’s first cousin
-
sib, sibling
a person’s brother or sister
-
better half, married person, mate, partner, spouse
a person’s partner in marriage
-
affine
(anthropology) kin by marriage
-
ancestress
a woman ancestor
-
aunt, auntie, aunty
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your mom’s or dad’s sibling
-
baby
the youngest member of a group (not necessarily young)
-
bastard, by-blow, illegitimate, illegitimate child, love child, whoreson
the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
-
bigamist
someone who marries one person while already legally married to another
-
brother-in-law
a brother by marriage
-
child, kid
a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
-
child
a member of a clan or tribe
-
consort
the husband or wife of a reigning monarch
-
daughter-in-law
the wife of your son
-
father-in-law
the father of your spouse
-
female sibling
a person’s sister
-
eldest, firstborn
the offspring who came first in the order of birth
-
forbear, forebear
a person from whom you are descended
-
father, forefather, sire
the founder of a family
-
foremother
a woman ancestor
-
primogenitor, progenitor
an ancestor in the direct line
-
grandchild
a child of your son or daughter
-
half blood
one of siblings who have only one parent in common
-
helpmate, helpmeet
a helpful partner
-
hubby, husband, married man
a married man; a woman’s partner in marriage
-
male sibling
a sibling who is male
-
monogamist, monogynist
someone who practices monogamy (one spouse at a time)
-
mother-in-law
the mother of your spouse
-
nephew
a son of your brother or sister
-
honeymooner, newlywed
someone recently married
-
niece
a daughter of your brother or sister
-
polygamist
someone who is married to two or more people at the same time
-
quad, quadruplet
one of four children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
-
quin, quint, quintuplet
one of five children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
-
scion
a descendent or heir
-
sister-in-law
the sister of your spouse
-
son-in-law
the husband of your daughter
-
heir, successor
a person who inherits some title or office
-
triplet
one of three offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
-
twin
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
-
uncle
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
-
married woman, wife
a married woman; a partner in marriage
-
type of:
-
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul
a human being
-
noun
an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘relative’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Noun
At the family reunion, I saw relatives I haven’t seen in years.
He inherited a small piece of land from a distant relative.
The donkey is a relative of the horse.
Adjective
the relative value of two houses
the relative positions of the islands
We discussed the relative merits of each school.
“Who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that” are all relative pronouns.
The phrase “that won” in “the book that won” is a relative clause.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers tentatively identified it as a close relative of the golden mahseer (Tor putitora), a fish that lives in above-ground lakes, rivers, and streams across the Himalayas.
—
Byscience News Staff, science.org, 6 Apr. 2023
And the prehistoric snail shell fragments are thought to be from relatives of modern behemoths that can grow to the size of a human hand and weigh more than two pounds.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2023
Darlene Gomez, the attorney who represented Begay’s family, said Tolth’s arraignment was bittersweet for her relatives.
—Sydney Carruth, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2023
Efforts to reach relatives of Denny and Evans were not successful.
—Emily Davies, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2023
The eight young pages are either family friends or close relatives of Charles and Camilla and will carry the robes of prominent figures during the day.
—Danica Kirka, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023
One by one, relatives and friends of Jones and McCowan made heartfelt pleas to the jury.
—Elizabeth Zavala, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Apr. 2023
In Rolling Fork, the Bidens surveyed the disaster path and met with families impacted by the storms, including a number of relatives of the 13 people killed by the tornado from the area.
—Isabella Murray, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2023
Vow used publicly available genetic information from the mammoth, filled missing parts with genetic data from its closest living relative, the African elephant, and inserted it into a sheep cell, Noakesmith said.
—Mike Corder, oregonlive, 31 Mar. 2023
The instrument then measured changes in the relative concentrations of these gases over time.
—Marissa Grunes, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023
City budget officials said the unexpectedly high costs are the result of two portions of the funding formula: one that offers a credit based on the relative wealth of a jurisdiction and another that considers levels of childhood poverty in each jurisdiction.
—Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2023
Friends and relatives of the deceased eulogized their beloved friend or relative.
—Bea Lewis, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2023
Uruguay’s relative prosperity is less obvious here.
—Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2023
Again, when offices closed, this relative advantage contracted.
—Simon Willis, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2023
Immediately calling her a sister-cousin and introducing Sam to her life, friends and choir practice, Jess is the type of relative most people try to avoid, driven away by their too boisterous enthusiasm.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 5 Apr. 2023
Soldiers run from their jeeps or armored vehicles into the relative safety of the bunkers.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2023
After Twitter’s logo was changed, users rushed to speculate as to what happened, with theories ranging from its (relative) comedic value to a ploy by Musk to increase Dogecoin’s value and shore up the social media platform’s massive losses.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 3 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘relative.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Just about everyone agrees that having a majority of black children growing up with either single mothers, grandparents or other relatives is a problem. ❋ Unknown (2010)
At the same time, in Saudi Arabia, there was a telethon earlier this week to raise money for what they call the relatives of the martyrs, those killed during operations against Israel, those killed by the Israelis. ❋ Unknown (2002)
When the mind so considers one thing, that it does as it were bring it to, and set it by another, and carries its view from one to the other — this is, as the words import, relation and respect; and the denominations given to positive things, intimating that respect, and serving as marks to lead the thoughts beyond the subject itself denominated to something distinct from it, are what we call relatives; and the things so brought together, related. ❋ Unknown (2007)
And I truly hope that none of my relatives is withing shooting rane if that happens … ❋ Unknown (2009)
One of those relatives is Daniel Benally, 73, who says he lives with shortness of breath after working for the Black Mesa mine in the same area for 35 years as a heavy equipment operator. ❋ Jeff Biggers (2010)
My wish list from relatives is full for the next time I travel to Germany. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Moving in with relatives is like hairy-carey I would live under a bridge first. ❋ Unknown (2009)
Regardless, this «time off» from UC Santa Cruz, as I choose to phrase it to relatives, is valuable because I now have time to utilize my perfect hindsight to tweak my lifestyle and find a balance of the social and the educational when I (hopefully) return to Santa Cruz next year. ❋ Sam Raushenbush (2010)
Even the first meeting between the long-estranged white and black relatives is somewhat underwhelming, despite the drumbeat build-up by the filmmaker. ❋ Unknown (2009)
I think this is a manipulated poll .. maybe of Palin relatives .. can’t imagine otherwise! ❋ Unknown (2009)
Anyway, the question is: Should the Masochist/Synth pairing become canon, or should they remain relatives? ❋ Unknown (2009)
Yet a full-bore crackdown on allegedly corrupt officials and their relatives is no longer considered a realistic option for the U.S. ❋ Matthew Rosenberg (2010)
Meaghan Patrick, a junior at New College of Florida, a tiny liberal arts college in Sarasota, says discussing immigration with her older relatives is like “hitting your head against a brick wall.” ❋ Unknown (2010)
Pissing off war-hero pensioners and grieving relatives is not a particularly brave thing to do. on January 4, 2010 at 8: 21 pm inspectorgadget ❋ Inspector Gadget (2010)
The neighbors know that Cyrla, sent from Poland for safekeeping with her Dutch relatives, is Jewish. ❋ Unknown (2008)
Barring funerals, pretty much the only time I hear from my now far-flung McNally relatives is when the Red Sox are doing well at whatever it is they do. ❋ Roger Sutton (2007)
In Darwinian thinking, the only way a plant or animal becomes fitter than its relatives is by sustaining a serendipitous mutation. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Behe: In Darwinian thinking, the only way a plant or animal becomes fitter than its relatives is by sustaining a serendipitous mutation. ❋ Unknown (2007)
I [hate] most of [my dad’s] relatives. they’re so [mean] to me. ❋ Anonymous (2003)
«Are those your relatives?»
«[Nope].» ❋ Trip (2003)
my [relative] [smell like shit] ❋ Fat In The Bacc (2003)
[The f]****** relatives are [coming over]…quick, hide [the food]! ❋ BLAcK_SToRM (2003)
Why are your relatives [crapping] themselves? ❋ Lord Meatclown (2003)
all my realtives are [fucking] [retards] ,[yea] i meant my inlaws ❋ Digitalamigo (2003)
You: What happened to all the soda?
On of relatives: Oh [everybody’s] been [grabbing] some do you have anymore non-diet?
You: [Time to die]. ❋ Chester McMiller (2012)
My relatives are comming over, would u mind sticking flaming bamboo [chutes] up my fingernails and [skinning] me alive so [i dont have to] be with them? ❋ BANANAconspiracy (2003)
My mom is [my uncle] and also [my grandma] and my [5th] cousin. ❋ Popo;l (2003)
[damn] relatives are [coming], weres the [volka]?? ❋ Fuck Off (2003)
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ rel—uh-tiv ]
/ ˈrɛl ə tɪv /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun
a person who is connected with another or others by blood or marriage.
something having, or standing in, some relation or connection to something else.
something dependent upon external conditions for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to absolute).
Grammar. a relative pronoun, adjective, or adverb.
adjective
considered in relation to something else; comparative: the relative merits of democracy and monarchy.
existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent: Happiness is relative.
having relation or connection.
having reference or regard; relevant; pertinent (usually followed by to): to determine the facts relative to an accident.
correspondent; proportionate: Value is relative to demand.
(of a term, name, etc.) depending for significance upon something else: “Better” is a relative term.
Grammar.
- noting or pertaining to a word that introduces a subordinate clause of which it is, or is a part of, the subject or predicate and that refers to an expressed or implied element of the principal clause (the antecedent), as the relative pronoun who in He’s the man who saw you or the relative adverb where in This is the house where she was born.
- noting or pertaining to a relative clause.
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?
Which sentence is correct?
Idioms about relative
Origin of relative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English relatif (noun), either from Middle French or from Late Latin relātīvus (adjective); see relate, -ive
OTHER WORDS FROM relative
non·rel·a·tive, noun, adjectivenon·rel·a·tive·ly, adverbnon·rel·a·tive·ness, nounun·rel·a·tive, adjective
un·rel·a·tive·ly, adverb
Words nearby relative
relational, relational database, relations, relationship, relationship marketing, relative, relative aperture, relative atomic mass, relative bearing, relative clause, relative complement
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to relative
analogous, corresponding, proportionate, related, aunt, cousin, father, folk, mother, niece, sibling, uncle, contingent, dependent, parallel, reciprocal, agnate, blood, brother-in-law, cognate
How to use relative in a sentence
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It’s not uncommon for a cheaper goalie — relative both to his backup and the rest of the league — to catch fire in the playoffs.
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Antetokounmpo currently leads the playoffs in total defensive rebounds and overall rebounds, so his lack of minutes relative to other stars has not hampered his total production on defense, either.
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When winds were strongly blowing from the south, and there was less sea ice, the relative amount of oxygen-18 increased.
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As aerosol pollution from vehicles has declined, the relative contribution from other sources has grown.
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If anything, the crampers started a little bit slower relative to their lab-measured fitness.
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But relative to centuries past, America is a marvel of domestic tranquility.
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Parents who want to transfer custody of a child to someone other than a relative must seek permission from a judge.
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While traveling this holiday season, a relative and I were pulled over by a police officer.
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Of course, this is The Comeback, and so «success» is a relative word.
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Her son peeked out the window and told me his mother had left Havana for La Lisa to visit a dying relative.
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But I suppose, as he is my nearest relative, it is but natural he should be anxious about my health.
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This had been quite genuine, for the Professor had been fond of his relative, who had always been very good to him.
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The relative quantity of labor embodied in each object is the basis of its value.
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It is evident that an absolute increase of any variety may be accompanied by a relative decrease.
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An increase in actual number is an absolute increase; an increase in percentage only, a relative increase.
British Dictionary definitions for relative
adjective
having meaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolutea relative value
(prenominal) (of a scientific quantity) being measured or stated relative to some other substance or measurementrelative humidity; relative density Compare absolute (def. 10)
(prenominal) comparative or respectivethe relative qualities of speed and accuracy
(postpositive foll by to) in proportion (to); corresponding (to)earnings relative to production
having reference (to); pertinent (to)matters not relative to the topic under discussion
grammar denoting or belonging to a class of words that function as subordinating conjunctions in introducing relative clauses. In English, relative pronouns and determiners include who, which, and thatCompare demonstrative (def. 5), interrogative (def. 3)
grammar denoting or relating to a clause (relative clause) that modifies a noun or pronoun occurring earlier in the sentence
(of a musical key or scale) having the same key signature as another key or scaleC major is the relative major of A minor
noun
a person who is related by blood or marriage; relation
a relative pronoun, clause, or grammatical construction
Derived forms of relative
relativeness, noun
Word Origin for relative
C16: from Late Latin relātīvus referring
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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Defenition of the word relative
- A person that is considered to be of the same family due to shared ancestors, marriage or adoption.
- A member of the family.
- Not absolute; connected to or depending on something else.
- properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to’; «punishment oughtt to be proportional to the crime»; «earnings relative to production»
- not absolute or complete; «a relative stranger»
- an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)
- a person related by blood or marriage; «police are searching for relatives of the deceased»; «he has distant relations back in New Jersey»
- properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to»; «punishment oughtt to be proportional to the crime»; «earnings relative to production»
- a person related by blood or marriage
- estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete
- properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to’
Synonyms for the word relative
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- comparative
- congenator
- congener
- family member
- next of kin
- proportional
- qualified
- relation
- virtual
Similar words in the relative
-
- comparative
- proportionate
- qualifying
- relational
- relative
- relatively
Meronymys for the word relative
-
- clan
- kin
- kin group
- kindred
- kinship group
- tribe
Hyponyms for the word relative
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- agnate
- ancestor
- antecedent
- ascendant
- ascendent
- better half
- blood relation
- blood relative
- cognate
- cousin
- cousin-german
- descendant
- descendent
- enate
- family
- first cousin
- full cousin
- in-law
- issue
- kin
- kinsman
- kinsperson
- kinswoman
- kissing cousin
- kissing kin
- married person
- mate
- matrikin
- matrilineal kin
- matrilineal sib
- matrisib
- next of kin
- offspring
- partner
- patrikin
- patrilineal kin
- patrilineal sib
- patrisib
- progeny
- relative-in-law
- root
- second cousin
- sib
- sibling
- spouse
Hypernyms for the word relative
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- being
- human
- individual
- life form
- living thing
- mortal
- organism
- person
- somebody
- someone
- soul
Antonyms for the word relative
-
- absolute
See other words
-
- What is reject
- The definition of potentiality
- The interpretation of the word poteen
- What is meant by potassium
- The lexical meaning reign
- The dictionary meaning of the word postulation
- The grammatical meaning of the word rehab
- Meaning of the word postilion
- Literal and figurative meaning of the word poster
- The origin of the word relict
- Synonym for the word relief
- Antonyms for the word power function
- Homonyms for the word remain
- Hyponyms for the word powerboat
- Holonyms for the word remedy
- Hypernyms for the word remit
- Proverbs and sayings for the word preadolescence
- Translation of the word in other languages precis
ru
A relative is a person who is part of your family. Parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, nieces and nephews — they’re all relatives.
Значения
Нажмите ru для перевода
n
ru
Someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.
Why do my relatives always talk about sex?
n
ru
A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.
Формы слова
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ru
A relative can be connected to your family through blood or by marriage. If you are a child or grandchild of Maria’s, for example, you are a blood relative of her family. If you marry Maria’s son, you become a relative by marriage. Relative is also an adjective that means «estimated by comparison,» like the steep hill that is tiny, relative to the mountain behind it.
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The Bible’s been attacked. What is truth? It’s relative.
Todd Burpo
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD RELATIVE
From Late Latin relātīvus referring.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF RELATIVE
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF RELATIVE
Relative can act as a noun and an adjective.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.
WHAT DOES RELATIVE MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Definition of relative in the English dictionary
The first definition of relative in the dictionary is having meaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolute. Other definition of relative is being measured or stated relative to some other substance or measurement. Relative is also comparative or respective.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH RELATIVE
Synonyms and antonyms of relative in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «RELATIVE»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «relative» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «relative» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF RELATIVE
Find out the translation of relative to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of relative from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «relative» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
亲戚
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
pariente
570 millions of speakers
English
relative
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
रिश्तेदार
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
قَريب
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
родственник
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
parente
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
আপেক্ষিক
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
parent
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Saudara
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
Verwandter
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
親戚
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
친척
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Relatif
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
họ hàng
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
உறவினர்
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
नातेवाईक
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
bağıl
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
parente
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
krewny
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
родич
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
rudă
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
συγγενής
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
relatiewe
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
släkting
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
slektning
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of relative
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «RELATIVE»
The term «relative» is very widely used and occupies the 4.553 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «relative» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of relative
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «relative».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «RELATIVE» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «relative» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «relative» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about relative
10 QUOTES WITH «RELATIVE»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word relative.
A friend who is near and dear may in time become as useless as a relative.
Until a friend or relative has applied a particular proverb to your own life, or until you’ve watched him apply the proverb to his own life, it has no power to sway you.
To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.
Lists of books we reread and books we can’t finish tell more about us than about the relative worth of the books themselves.
It is a well-documented fact that guys will not ask for directions. This is a biological thing. This is why it takes several million sperm cells… to locate a female egg, despite the fact that the egg is, relative to them, the size of Wisconsin.
For investors who do want to speculate in high-yield bonds, one alternative may be a junk bond mutual fund, which can offer investors the relative safety of diversification.
Basic philosophy, spirit and drive of an organization have far more to do with its relative achievements than do technological or economic resources, organizational structure, innovation and timing.
The truth is that relative income is not directly related to happiness. Nonpartisan social-survey data clearly show that the big driver of happiness is earned success: a person’s belief that he has created value in his life or the life of others.
Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious — we get defensive and try to solve the problem rather than finding the truth in what the person is saying.
The Bible’s been attacked. What is truth? It’s relative.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RELATIVE»
Discover the use of relative in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to relative and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Relative Deprivation: Specification, Development, and …
This book is a standard reference work for relative deprivation researchers for years to come.
Iain Walker, Heather J. Smith, 2002
2
Relative Deprivation and Social Comparison: The Ontario …
First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
James M. Olson, C. Peter Herman, Mark P. Zanna, 1986
3
Absolute Or Relative Motion?: The discovery of dynamics
Thus the core of the work describes the development of the calculus, the experimentation that altered the direction of the science of optics, and especially the investigations in celestial dynamics that led to the law of universal …
4
Relative Values: Reconfiguring Kinship Studies
DIVThe essays in Relative Values draw on new work in anthropology, science studies, gender theory, critical race studies, and postmodernism to offer a radical revisioning of kinship and kinship theory.
Sarah Franklin, Susan McKinnon, 2002
5
Introduction to Fixed Income Analytics: Relative Value …
This book addresses everything from the valuation of fixed income securities with embedded options to the features of structured products—such as mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities—while also offering insights on …
Frank J. Fabozzi, Steven V. Mann, 2010
6
Smarter Investing in Any Economy: The Definitive Guide to …
By strictly following his methodologies outlined in this book, you may more than double the returns of the S&P 500, with less risk.
7
The Nearest Relative Handbook
The Nearest Relative Handbook will be an invaluable aid to those who find themselves in a professional relationship with a nearest relative, to those who are or wish to be a nearest relative and to anyone needing to make sense of the …
8
Relative Tense and Aspectual Values in Tibetan Languages: A …
The parts of the book discuss and describe (i) the concepts of TENSE, ASPECT and MOOD; (ii) the Tibetan system of RELATIVE TENSE and aspectual values, with main sections on Old and Classical Tibetan, «Lhasa» Tibetan, and East Tibetan (Amdo …
9
The Syntax of Relative Clauses
This book presents a cross-section of recent generative research into the syntax of relative clauses constructions.
10
Effects of Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Air Flow on …
Particulate air filters are used extensively in all types of buildings to capture aerosols.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RELATIVE»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term relative is used in the context of the following news items.
Relative Strength Alert For Andersons
One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which … «Nasdaq, Jul 15»
Leah Remini opens up about the ‘repercussions’ of leaving …
The second season of Leah Remini’s Lifetime reality show, It’s All Relative, will explore the actress’ much-publicized departure from the Church of Scientology. «Entertainment Weekly, Jul 15»
Relative Strength Alert For Seagate Technology
We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to … «Forbes, Jul 15»
Leah Remini On The Return Of ‘It’s All Relative‘
Leah Remini chats about the return of her reality series, “Leah Remini: It’s All Relative,” for its second season. Who are the real stars of the show? “Leah Remini: … «Access Hollywood, Jul 15»
Relative Strength Alert For Sanmina
One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which … «Nasdaq, Jul 15»
Relative Strength Alert For Lowe’s Companies
We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to … «Forbes, Jun 15»
Relative Strength Alert For SLM
One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which … «Forbes, Jun 15»
Relative Strength Alert For International Paper
We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to … «Forbes, Jun 15»
Relative Strength Alert For Philip Morris International
One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which … «Nasdaq, Jun 15»
Relative Strength Alert For WP Glimcher
We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to … «Forbes, Jun 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Relative [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/relative>. Apr 2023 ».
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Discover all that is hidden in the words on 
British National Corpus
-
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘relatives’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3646
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Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word ‘relatives’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #4315
How to pronounce relatives?
How to say relatives in sign language?
Numerology
-
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of relatives in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
-
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of relatives in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Examples of relatives in a Sentence
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Lisa Westcott:
Words can’t quite capture the thrill of seeing a mammoth tusk still in the ground, or the feeling of standing in the middle of a site that has the potential to change how we see our closest human relatives and the Ice Age megafauna they shared their world with.
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Thomas Sobocinski:
We use crime scene DNA and its analysis to develop a profile, we then use publicly accessible databases and information to identify potential relatives of a suspect or of the victim.
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Sanjay Bhandari:
Eat and dine with your relatives; never do any business with them
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Says Smith:
We got a whole quarantine package of what’s going to happen. He got on the call with us again, made sure we were completely comfortable, which we were. I tell people all the time : I 100 % trust Tyler Perry. He treats us like we’re his relatives. So I knew that we would be fully protected and we were — we were safe, throughout the whole process, we had this big package of protective materials : hand sanitizers, surface cleansers, mask, suits, goggles, gloves — everything we needed. So we were really, really protected.
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Angel Munoz:
Many of these elderly people either live alone or are being taken care of by neighbors, they are not even relatives.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translation
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