relation

noun

re·​la·​tion ri-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce relation (audio)
1
: the act of telling or recounting : account
2
: an aspect or quality (such 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 (such 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)
b relations plural
(1)
: dealings, intercourse
foreign relations

Examples of relation in a Sentence

The incident led to tense international relations.
Recent Examples on the Web Those properties lie at the heart of the U.S. embargo on the island and resolving those claims would have put the two countries on the verge of fully normalizing relations. Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024 Central to the arrangement is an agreement by Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, which the United States would then reward with a new bilateral U.S.-Saudi security partnership. Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024 Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, though, sent relations between the two nations into a tailspin. Peter Kenyon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2024 She was named a partner in 2016 and most recently served as chief strategy officer and global head of investor relations. Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024 Ending Jordan’s nearly 30-year-old peace deal with Israel and the normalization of relations that followed. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 Saudi Arabia is naturally opposed to Iranian power projection but interested in containing it peacefully, having normalized diplomatic relations and engaged in talks with Iran and floated a large investment package as an incentive to further cooperation. Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024 Jay Horwitz, the Mets’ vice president of media relations, said the cause was respiratory failure, occurring on Sunday afternoon after a heart procedure at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute. Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024 Islamabad suspended trade in 2019 after relations with Delhi deteriorated, in part because of India’s decision to strip the majority-Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir of its legislative autonomy, and Pakistanis have been paying the price ever since. Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin relation-, relatio, from referre (past participle relatus) to carry back

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of relation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near relation

Cite this Entry

“Relation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relation. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

relation

noun
re·​la·​tion ri-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce relation (audio)
1
: the act of telling or describing
2
: connection sense 2, relationship
the relation of employer to employee
3
: a related person : relative
4
: reference entry 1 sense 2, respect
in relation to this matter
5
a
: the state of sharing an interest (as in social or business matters)
b
plural : business or public affairs
good trade relations
foreign relations
c
plural : dealings between persons or groups
improved his relations with his family
relational
-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

relation

noun
re·​la·​tion ri-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce relation (audio)
1
: an aspect or quality (as resemblance or causality) that connects two or more things or parts as being or belonging or working together, as being of the same kind, or as being logically connected
the strong relation between genotype and phenotypeAnne M. Glazier et al.
2
: the attitude or stance which two or more persons or groups assume toward one another
race relations
3
a
: the state of being mutually or reciprocally interested (as in social matters)
b
relations plural : sexual intercourse
testified that relations had occurredNewsweek
relational adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on relation

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