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relative

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle French relatif, from Late Latin relātīvus, from Latin relātus, perfect passive participle of referō (“to carry back, to ascribe”), from re- (“again”) + ferō (“to bear or carry”). By surface analysis, relate +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: rel'ətiv, IPA(key): /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/
    • Audio (US, enunciated); [ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv]:(file)
    • Audio (US, flapped, more common in casual speech); [ˈɹɛl.ə.ɾɪv]:(file)
  • (India) IPA(key): /rɪˈleː.ʈɪʋ/
  • Hyphenation: rel‧a‧tive

Adjective

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relative (not comparable)

  1. Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.
    We've been discussing the relative merits of various methods of transportation.
    • 1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
      I once knew a case—possibly I read of it—where a pack of cards lay on the floor. It was a murder case and the guilt or innocence of an accused man depended on the relative positions of the fifty-first and fifty-second cards.
    • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎[1], archived from the original on 10 December 2022:
      For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.
    • 2018 December 11, Jerry Stuger, “Autism and Religious Beliefs: Clues from Kafka Research”, in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, volume 49, →DOI, pages 1559–1569:
      It is thought that the autistic mind is more intimately connected with objective reality via its external sensory focus on reality and its superior understanding of physical causality, relative to neurotypical persons (Baron-Cohen et al. 1999; Paganini and Gaido 2013) and is therefore less susceptible to supernatural experiences or explanations.
  2. (computing, of a URL, URI, path, or similar) Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.
    The relative URL /images/pic.jpg, when evaluated in the context of http://example.com/index.html, corresponds to the absolute URL http://example.com/images/pic.jpg.
  3. (grammar) Depending on an antecedent; comparative.
    The words “big” and “small” are relative.
  4. (music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.
  5. (archaic or rare) Relevant; pertinent; related.
    relative to your earlier point about taxes, ...
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 264, column 2:
      The Spirit that I haue ſeene
      May be the Diuell, and the Diuel hath power
      T'aſſume a pleaſing ſhape, yea and perhaps
      Out of my Weakneſſe, and my Melancholly,
      As he is very potent with ſuch Spirits,
      Abuſes me to damne me. Ile haue grounds
      More Relatiue then this: The play's the thing,
      Wherein Ile catch the Conſcience of the King.
  6. Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Adverb

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relative (not comparable)

  1. (US) Alternative form of relatively.
    • 1961, Earl Leon Werley Heck, The Rise of Higher Education in California, 1834–1910:
      In 1924 it moved to a commonious campus at Stockton. Like other Californian colleges, however, it decided to remain a relative small institution.
    • 1974, Select Committee on Small Business, United States Senate, Small Business Tax Reform, 1970–74‎[2], page 175:
      Mr. Schneebell. Instead of the relative small number of cases, you should phrase it probably differently.
      Professor Brazer. I accept that correction.
    • 2010, Sebastian Sosa, The Influence of “Big Brothers:” How Important are Regional Factors for Uruguay?‎[3], page 3:
      In addition to the typical external disturbances faced by small open economies, such as shocks to terms of trade, to capital flows, or to the rest of the world’s demand, it is subject to a number of idiosyncratic shocks stemming from its relative big neighbors Brazil and—especially—Argentina.

Noun

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relative (plural relatives)

  2. Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.
    • 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii:
      The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives.
    • 2026 January 5, Callum Sutherland, “Who Is Cilia Flores? What to Know About Maduro’s Wife Amid Fall of Venezuela's First Couple”, in TIME‎[4], archived from the original on 10 January 2026:
      In 2008, the leader of a pro-government union accused Flores of nepotism after she reportedly hired at least 40 relatives to work within the National Assembly.
  3. (figurative) Something kindred or related to something else.
    Synonym: cousin
  4. (linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Anagrams

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Danish

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Adjective

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relative

  1. inflection of relativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Esperanto

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Etymology

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From relativa +‎ -e.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /relaˈtive/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ive
  • Syllabification: re‧la‧ti‧ve

Adverb

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relative

  1. relatively

Further reading

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French

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

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relative

  1. feminine singular of relatif

Etymology 2

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    Ellipsis of proposition subordonnée relative.

    Noun

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    relative f (plural relatives)

    1. (grammar) relative clause, adjectival clause, adjective clause

    Anagrams

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    German

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    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    relative

    1. inflection of relativ:
      1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
      2. strong nominative/accusative plural
      3. weak nominative all-gender singular
      4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

    Italian

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    Adjective

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    relative f pl

    1. feminine plural of relativo

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    Latin

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    Etymology 1

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Italic *wre-
    Latin re-
    Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-
    Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti
    Proto-Italic *ferō
    Latin ferō
    Latin referō
    Proto-Indo-European *-wós
    Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder.
    Latin īvus
    Latin relātīvus
    Latin -ē
    Latin relātīvē

      From relātīvus + -ē.

      Pronunciation

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      Adverb

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      relātīvē (not comparable)

      1. (Late Latin) relatively

      References

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      Etymology 2

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      A regularly declined form of relātīvus.

      Pronunciation

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      Adjective

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      relātīve

      1. vocative masculine singular of relātīvus

      Norwegian Bokmål

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      Adjective

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      relative

      1. inflection of relativ:
        1. definite singular
        2. plural

      Norwegian Nynorsk

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      Adjective

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      relative

      1. inflection of relativ:
        1. definite singular
        2. plural

      Swedish

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      Adjective

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      relative

      1. definite natural masculine singular of relativ
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