What does "relative" mean?
Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.
Relative
/ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/ adj, adv, noun
adj, adv, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.
- Grammar: relative is listed as adj, adv, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: relation, adjective of relation, affiliated, affinitive.
- Useful contrasts: absolute, categorical, total.
- Usage evidence: We have a saying to the effect that a good neighbor is better than a faraway relative.
How to use "relative"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "relative" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "relative" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "relative" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "relative" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "relative" is acting as adj, adv, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "relation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "relative", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.
"The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives."
- 2 an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus) wordnet
- 3 Something kindred or related to something else. figuratively
- 4 a person related by blood or marriage wordnet
- 5 A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.
Adjective
- 1 Connected to or depending on something else; comparative. not-comparable
"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."
- 2 Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form. not-comparable
"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 Depending on an antecedent; comparative. not-comparable
"The words “big” and “small” are relative."
- 4 Having the same key but differing in being major or minor. not-comparable
- 5 Relevant; pertinent; related. archaic, not-comparable, rare
"relative to your earlier point about taxes, ..."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete wordnet
- 2 properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by ‘to’ wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Alternative form of relatively. US, alt-of, alternative, not-comparable
"In 1924 it moved to a commonious campus at Stockton. Like other Californian colleges, however, it decided to remain a relative small institution."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"We have a saying to the effect that a good neighbor is better than a faraway relative."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "relative"?
Common synonyms include: relation, adjective of relation, affiliated, affinitive, agnate, allied.
How do you use "relative" in a sentence?
We have a saying to the effect that a good neighbor is better than a faraway relative.
How do you pronounce "relative"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/.
Etymology
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”).