relative

1 of 2

noun

rel·​a·​tive ˈre-lə-tiv 

1

: a word referring grammatically to an antecedent

2

: a thing having a relation to or connection with or necessary dependence on another thing

3

a

: a person connected with another by blood or affinity

b

: an animal or plant related to another by common descent

4

: a relative term

relative

2 of 2

adjective

1

: introducing a subordinate clause qualifying an expressed or implied antecedent

a relative pronoun

also : introduced by such a connective

a relative clause

2

: relevant, pertinent

matters relative to world peace

3

: not absolute or independent : comparative

the relative isolation of life in the country

4

: having the same key signature

—used of major and minor keys and scales

5

: expressed as the ratio of the specified quantity (such as an error in measuring) to the total magnitude (such as the value of a measured quantity) or to the mean of all the quantities involved

Synonyms

Noun

• cousin
• kin
• kinsman
• relation

Adjective

• almost
• approximate
• comparative
• near

Examples of relative in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On March 9, just before 4:30 p.m., dispatchers received a report of a nonverbal child who ran away from his family at a supermarket in the 9600 block of Mission Gorge Road, leaving relatives unable to find him, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Monday, April 28. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025

The human rights group’s findings are based on more than 100 interviews with victims, relatives and witnesses, along with a review of 76 videos, 17 photographs and official documents such as death certificates and court records. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025

Adjective

In its first three months in power, the new government restored relative calm to the country, largely restraining those who sought revenge for atrocities committed under the Assads. —Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025

The April outlook readings for the demographic continued a six-month uptrend, reflecting continued relative strength in the jobs market. —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing relative

• blood relative
• it's all relative
• relative humidity
• relative to
• relative wind

Kids Definition

relative

1 of 2 noun

rel·​a·​tive ˈrel-ət-iv 

1

: a word referring grammatically to one that comes before it

2

: a person connected with another by blood or marriage

relative

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: introducing a subordinate clause that qualifies an expressed or implied antecedent

relative pronoun

b

: introduced by a word having such an antecedent

relative clause

2

: relevant, pertinent

questions relative to the topic

3

: existing in comparison to something else

the relative value of two houses

4

: having the same key signature

—used of major and minor keys and scales

relativeness noun

Legal Definition

relative

adjective

rel·​a·​tive

1

: not absolute

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : having or allowing some legal effect

a relative impediment

a relative simulation

see also relative nullity at nullity

relatively adverb