relative
Americannoun
-
relatives
plural
-
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 byto ).
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.
-
idioms
adjective
-
having meaning or significance only in relation to something else; not absolute
a relative value
-
(prenominal) (of a scientific quantity) being measured or stated relative to some other substance or measurement Compare absolute
relative humidity
relative density
-
(prenominal) comparative or respective
the relative qualities of speed and accuracy
-
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 that Compare demonstrative interrogative
-
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 scale
C 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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonrelativenoun
-
nonrelativenessnoun
-
relativenessnoun
-
unrelativeadjective
-
nonrelativelyadverb
-
unrelativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing relative
Hatchet
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Graduation Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Measurement and Data, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
We're "seeing some incremental pressure on the consumer relative to the beginning of the year with higher fuel prices," Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said on a conference call with analysts.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Defensively, his athleticism allows him to cover for the relative lack of physicality in his potential midfield partners at United who suit playing in small spaces.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Some analysts, however, were skeptical the intervention would have a lasting effect, noting the buyback size is miniscule relative to the $432 billion deficit run in July alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
When the relative amount of histidine was high, the bees reduced their overall food intake.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
But now she's skipped over the hoping part and is acting totally sure that this stranger is my relative after one quick glance.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
It’s common for people to move closer to ailing relatives.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
The court said some lawmakers and members of the political advisory body, as well as relatives of the defendants, attended the verdict.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
“For the remaining costs, most parents use a combination of funding sources with 48% of funds coming from savings and income, 23% from loans, and 2% from relatives and friends,” he adds.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
Those predators included anacondas, saber toothed mammals, flightless "terror birds" and sebecids, a group of land dwelling relatives of crocodylians.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The men would stay there all week or perhaps even two, typically rooming with relatives or other Colored families, who would open their homes and charge for rooms and meals.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.