relative
Americannoun
-
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 byto ).
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.
-
idioms
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 Compare absolute
relative humidity
relative density
-
(prenominal) comparative or respective
the relative qualities of speed and accuracy
-
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 interrogative
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of relative
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English relatif (noun), either from Middle French or from Late Latin relātīvus (adjective); see relate, -ive
Explanation
A relative is a person who is part of your family. Parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, nieces and nephews — they're all relatives. A relative can be connected to your family through blood or by marriage. If you are a child or grandchild of Maria's, for example, you are a blood relative of her family. If you marry Maria's son, you become a relative by marriage. Relative is also an adjective that means "estimated by comparison," like the steep hill that is tiny, relative to the mountain behind it.
Vocabulary lists containing relative
Hatchet
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Graduation Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Measurement and Data, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The surging costs are eating an outsize share of low- and middle-income consumers’ paychecks, darkening their outlook relative to the well-off.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
Besides on-arrival visas, affordability is a key factor behind the outperformance of these countries relative to Goa.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Dow Industrials trading near the very round 50,000 level is beginning to resemble a potential double top relative to the February peak.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Yes, it’s worth noting that the U.S. has one of the highest relative poverty rates among the world’s developed nations.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
A minor key is called the relative minor of the major key that has the same key signature.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
