relative 1 of 2

noun

ˈre-lə-tiv How to pronounce relative (audio)
Definition of relativenext
as in cousin
a person connected with another by blood or marriage it's always fun to see all your relatives at a big family gathering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

relative

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in comparative
being such only when compared to something else after being crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, they lived in relative comfort in a two-bedroom house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relevant
having to do with the matter at hand I don't need the whole story, just the details that are relative to the case

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relative
Noun
That created more delays in finding another relative who could make the journey. — Susan Page, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 The Orlando City Council last month endorsed a design for a memorial unanimously approved by the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee, which included relatives of the 49 people who died in the massacre and some members who had visited the club that horrible night in June 2016. — Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Small is relative though as the space measures over 43,000 square feet. — Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 Unafraid of the blade The 10 companies that participated in the recent pitch day are relative newcomers to the space industry. — Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relative
  1. cousin
  2. comparative
  3. relevant
  4. relation
  5. comparable
  6. applicable
  7. almost
Noun
  • The bride’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, served as maid of honor.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Meanwhile, frightened Southern planters, those reluctant revolutionaries, threw in with their radical New England cousins.
    — Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of cousin
Adjective
  • Two more comparative laptops hail from the consumer side of the aisle: The Acer Swift 14 AI AMD provides an alternative to Intel, while the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition provides a larger 15.3-inch display.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 25 Mar. 2025
  • It was initially kept in the university’s comparative anatomy collection before being transferred to its human culture collection in the early 2000s.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of comparative
Adjective
  • This unusual and alarming development elicited a very strange reaction, though, from relevant scholars in such countries as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Sweden, which seemed to think the forcible relocation was a positive step forward.
    — Ray Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
  • McCutchen said the curriculum taught included other major civil rights events and focused on why the topic is relevant to students today.
    — Campbell Roper, Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of relevant
Noun
  • Waging war on Denmark is wrong and will damage U.S. defense and foreign relations for decades We Americans should be ashamed of ourselves and of our government.
    — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Her trip comes amid a souring in relations between the Trump administration and the Colombian government, which has long been the United States' closest ally in the region.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of relation
Adjective
  • The most far-reaching version of Trump’s strategy would raise the effective, or average, tariff on U.S. imports to about 20%, comparable to the heavy import duties the nation imposed in the 1930s and that contributed to the Great Depression, Zandi said.
    — Paul Davidson, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There are several solutions Baltimore could implement immediately to fix its open records process, like creating an online request center comparable to most other large cities.
    — John Hart, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of comparable
Adjective
  • Vessels will have to submit a technology screening report that evaluates energy efficiency technologies applicable to the ship.
    — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 27 Mar. 2025
  • This is not applicable on outlet and sale products, as an FYI.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of applicable
Adjective
  • Despite arguably kicking off the trend of internet shutdowns a decade ago with an almost year-long blackout in the western province of Xinjiang, China is not a frequent offender.
    — James Griffiths, CNN, 9 Jan. 2020
  • West made his triumphant return to Twitter last Friday after an almost year-long hiatus.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 21 Apr. 2018
Definition of almost

Browse Nearby Words

relationships
relative
relatively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relative. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

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