Wiktionary

relief

See also: Relief, reliéf, and reliëf

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: rĭ-lēf′
  • (UK) IPA(key): /rɪˈliːf/
  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈliːf/
  • (US) IPA(key): /rɪˈlif/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːf
  • Hyphenation: re‧lief

Etymology 1

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From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.

Noun

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relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

  1. The removal of stress or discomfort.
    Synonyms: ease, alleviation, liss, respite; see also Thesaurus:consolation
    I sighed with relief when I found out that my daughter hadn't got lost, but was waiting for me at home.
  2. The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
    Synonyms: ease, alleviation, liss
    • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
      Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, […] .”
    • 2020 April 8, Philip Haigh, “Out of the current crisis we could see meaningful changes”, in Rail, page 56:
      DfT's action was greeted with great relief in many quarters.
  3. Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
  4. The person who takes over a shift for another.
    Synonyms: stand-in, substitute, backup, fill-in
    Officer Schmidt can finally go home because his relief has arrived.
    • 1963 February, “Motive Power Miscellany: London Midland Region”, in Modern Railways, page 136:
      At Leeds a relief crew was waiting—but without a relief locomotive; after some discussion, the new men offered to take on the A3. [...].
  5. Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
    Relief arrived quickly after the disaster.
    • 1950 November, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Southern England”, in Railway Magazine, page 772:
      On busy days, they also may be seen bowling along the Brighton main line, north of Keymer Junction, with a relief Newhaven boat express, […] .
  6. (military) Military assistance to break a siege or an encirclement.
  7. (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
    Synonyms: amends, recompense, remuneration; see also Thesaurus:compensation
  8. A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
  9. A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.
  10. (golf) Permission for a player to move their ball to a more convenient spot before taking a shot, under certain circumstances.
  11. (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) Ellipsis of relief teacher.
    Do we have a relief for maths today?
Derived terms
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Translations
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release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked‌: "exemption, liberation, exoneration, derogation"

Etymology 2

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From Italian rilievo, from rilevare (“to raise”), from Latin relevō (“to raise”).

Noun

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relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

 
The relief of Diana at the Amalienburg, in Munich (Germany) (sense 2)
 
Relief with two putti and with a cartouche, above a door from Paris (sense 2)
  1. (uncountable) A method of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
  2. (countable) A sculpture or other artwork made with such a method.
    Synonym: embossing
  3. The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
  4. The difference of elevations on a surface.
    Synonyms: texture, topography
    the relief on that part of the Earth's surface
    • 1947 January and February, “A Winter's Day on the Tyneside”, in Railway Magazine, page 29, photo caption:
      The approach to Newcastle (Central) Station from the north after a heavy snowfall. The complicated track layout is thrown into clear relief by the snow [referring to dark rails poking through the snow]
  5. Relative distinctness, perceived difference due to contrast.
  6. (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Adjective

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relief (comparative more relief, superlative most relief)

  1. (of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.
  2. Of or used in letterpress.

Anagrams

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Danish

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Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology

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Borrowed from French relief

Noun

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relief n (singular definite relieffet, plural indefinite relieffer)

  1. relief (work of art)

Inflection

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Declension of relief
neuter
gender 		singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative relief relieffet relieffer reliefferne
genitive reliefs relieffets relieffers relieffernes

References

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French, from relever.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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relief m (plural reliefs)

  1. projection, relief
  2. (geography, mineralogy) relief, surface elevation
  3. (figuratively) contrast, definition, offset (against something else)
    (mettre en relief) Make evident; give emphasis (to something), make stand out, highlight.
  4. (sculpture) relief

Derived terms

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Descendants

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Further reading

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Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl
 
relief

Etymology

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    Borrowed from French relief.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    relief m inan (related adjective reliefowy)

    1. (sculpture) relief (sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background)
      Synonym: płaskorzeźba
    2. (geology) relief, landform, terrain (area of land or the particular features of it)
      Synonym: rzeźba terenu

    Declension

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    Declension of relief
    singular plural
    nominative relief reliefy
    genitive reliefu reliefów
    dative reliefowi reliefom
    accusative relief reliefy
    instrumental reliefem reliefami
    locative reliefie reliefach
    vocative reliefie reliefy
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    adverbs

    Further reading

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    • “relief”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[1] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
    • “relief”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[2] (in Polish)
    • relief in PWN's encyclopedia

    Romanian

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from French relief.

    Noun

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    relief n (plural reliefuri)

    1. relief (difference of elevations on the Earth's surface)
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    Swedish

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    Noun

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    relief c

    1. a relief (type of artwork)

    Declension

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    Declension of relief
    nominative genitive
    singular indefinite relief reliefs
    definite reliefen reliefens
    plural indefinite reliefer reliefers
    definite relieferna reliefernas

    Derived terms

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    References

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