relative

noun

rel·a·tive | \ ˈre-lə-tiv

Definition of relative

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a word referring grammatically to an antecedent

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

3a : 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

adjective

Definition of relative (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from relative Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about relative

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Synonyms & Antonyms for relative

Synonyms: Noun

cousin, kin, kinsman, relation

Synonyms: Adjective

almost, approximate, comparative, near

Antonyms: Noun

nonrelative

Antonyms: Adjective

absolute, complete, downright, out-and-out, outright, perfect, pure, unqualified

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

One woman introduced a relative visiting from out of town. — New York Times, "The Church Where Believing in God Isn’t Strictly Necessary," 6 Sep. 2019 In May, a female relative sought a protection order against McPherson, saying the candidate had punched her in the face; a judge later dismissed the order, finding the allegations were not proved. — Josh Verges, Twin Cities, "St. Paul school board candidate ineligible due to felony drug charges, records show," 6 Sep. 2019 One was a relative and the other two were family friends, said Dan Olsen, spokesperson for the attorney general's office. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Macomb Co. man gets 36 years for assaulting, secretly videotaping girls in Michigan cabin," 5 Sep. 2019 Because someone is a relative does not require the individual to be invited to every family function, particularly when your branch of the family doesn’t socialize with them otherwise. — Dear Abby, oregonlive.com, "Dear Abby: Is wife selfish for wanting husband’s mom to move out of their home into care facility?," 23 Aug. 2019 The little girl, now aged three, has been placed under the care of a relative, and has reportedly made progress in her development. — Jessie Yeung, CNN, "Vegan parents whose strict diet left baby 'severely malnourished' avoid jail," 22 Aug. 2019 According to a memoir written by a Schwartz relative in 1982, the Faxes had owned land near Mlynov. — Jonathan Pitts, baltimoresun.com, "Immigrants from a Russian village flocked to Baltimore, changing its history. Their descendants are celebrating.," 21 Aug. 2019 For their part, Succession's Roy family seems similarly disinclined to accept Tom as a full-fledged relative. — Ben Widdicombe, Town & Country, "Does Succession Get Tom and Shiv's Relationship Right? A Vanderbilt Says Yes.," 11 Aug. 2019 Saudi women will soon be allowed to obtain passports and travel without the permission of a male relative. — Alainna Liloia, The Conversation, "Saudi women are fighting for their freedom – and their hard-won victories are growing," 8 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Patrick Vale, a 28-year-old school administrator from Boston, said Harris has all the attributes of a successful candidate: relative youth, energy, a fresh face. — Los Angeles Times, "Can Kamala Harris recapture the magic? She gets a shot in Thursday’s debate," 10 Sep. 2019 The victim’s relative came into the hotel and alerted a manager at the front desk, and the manager went to check on the victim, Ramirez said. — Chuck Fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Oak Brook gun alert came after reported sexual assault at Hyatt House," 7 Sep. 2019 More in this series Then Andreescu did something surprising, considering her relative inexperience and the pressures of the moment. — Kevin Craft, The Atlantic, "Bianca Andreescu’s Remarkable U.S. Open Win," 7 Sep. 2019 Perceptions of value for money are relative not absolute. — The Economist, "Why Americans pay more for lunch than Britons do," 7 Sep. 2019 Arizona is expected to dispatch visiting NAU with relative ease Saturday night. — Michael Lev, azcentral, "Arizona football looking for bounce-back game against NAU Lumberjacks," 6 Sep. 2019 The family bolted for safety to a relative’s sturdier brick house. — Washington Post, "Florida town rallies behind team amid rebound from Michael," 5 Sep. 2019 The relative equality of midcentury was the result of a brutal struggle between capital and labor, one that, due to labor’s strength, resulted for a time in a decent postwar life for working-class people. — Sarah Leonard, The New Republic, "The Fall of the Meritocracy," 5 Sep. 2019 Ward, who is addicted to heroin, bipolar and suffering from anxiety and depression, had sent a family member two letters expressing his intent to kill himself, the relative told police. — Christine Dempsey, courant.com, "Warrant: Suspected grandmother-killer told relative “she wouldn’t shut her mouth”," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for relative

relative

noun

English Language Learners Definition of relative

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a member of your family

: something that belongs to the same group as something else because of shared characteristics, qualities, etc.

relative

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of relative (Entry 2 of 2)

: compared to someone or something else or to each other

: seeming to be something when compared with others

grammar : referring to a noun, a part of a sentence, or a sentence that was used earlier

relative

Definition of relative

Synonyms & Antonyms for relative

Examples of relative in a Sentence

First Known Use of relative

English Language Learners Definition of relative

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