relativize

verb

rel·​a·​tiv·​ize ˈre-lə-tə-ˌvīz How to pronounce relativize (audio)
relativized; relativizing

transitive verb

: to treat or describe as relative

Examples of relativize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If this pilgrimage is meant to offer a comeuppance for these two overgrown Millennial boys, to relativize their own pain as small, this reckoning never arrives. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2024 There is a tendency to relativize their plight by placing it in the broader context of challenges the international community faces in Afghanistan. P. Michael McKinley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2023 Supporters of conspiracy myths and opponents of the measures against the pandemic do not even shy away from relativizing the Holocaust. NBC News, 20 Feb. 2020 Such relativizing behavior affects even our most intimate relationships. Matt Ridley, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of relativize was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near relativize

Cite this Entry

“Relativize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relativize. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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