Etymology: Middle English relacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin relation-, relatio, from referre (past participle relatus) to carry back
Date: 14th century
1: the act of telling or recounting :account 2: an aspect or quality (as resemblance) that connects two or more things or parts as being or belonging or working together or as being of the same kind <the relation of time and space>; specifically: a property (as one expressed by is equal to, is less than, or is the brother of) that holds between an ordered pair of objects 3: the referring by a legal fiction of an act to a prior date as the time of its taking effect —usually used with back 4 a (1): a person connected by consanguinity or affinity :relative(2): a person legally entitled to a share of the property of an intestate b: relationship by consanguinity or affinity :kinship 5:reference, respect<in relation to> 6: the attitude or stance which two or more persons or groups assume toward one another <race relations> 7 a: the state of being mutually or reciprocally interested (as in social or commercial matters) bplural(1):dealings, intercourse<foreign relations>(2):sexual intercourse
