relative

[ rel-uh-tiv ]

/ ˈrɛl ə tɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR relative ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of relative

1350–1400; Middle English relatif (noun) (< Middle French) < Late Latin relātīvus (adj.); see relate, -ive

usage note for relative

11. See who.

OTHER WORDS FROM relative

non·rel·a·tive, noun, adjective non·rel·a·tive·ly, adverb non·rel·a·tive·ness, noun un·rel·a·tive, adjective

un·rel·a·tive·ly, adverb

Words nearby relative

relational, relational database, relations, relationship, relationship marketing, relative, relative accommodation, relative aperture, relative atomic mass, relative bearing, relative clause

British Dictionary definitions for relative to

relative

/ (ˈrɛlətɪv) /

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 relative humidity; relative density Compare absolute (def. 10)

(prenominal) comparative or respective the 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 that Compare 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 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

Derived forms of relative

relativeness, noun

Word Origin for relative

C16: from Late Latin relātīvus referring

Idioms and Phrases with relative to

relative to

Correspondent or proportionate to, as in Relative to its size, Boston has a great many universities, or It's important to get all the facts relative to the collision. Another form of this idiom is in or with relation to, meaning “in reference or with regard to,” as in Demand is high in relation to supply, or That argument changes nothing with relation to our plans for hiring workers. The usages with relative date from the second half of the 1700s, those with relation from the late 1500s.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

relative

noun

adjective

Origin of relative

usage note for relative

OTHER WORDS FROM relative

Words nearby relative

British Dictionary definitions for relative to

adjective

noun

Derived forms of relative

Word Origin for relative

Idioms and Phrases with relative to

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

relative

noun

adjective

Origin of relative

usage note for relative

OTHER WORDS FROM relative

Words nearby relative

Words related to relative to

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adjective

noun

Derived forms of relative

Word Origin for relative

Idioms and Phrases with relative to

British Dictionary definitions for relative to