relative

1 of 2

noun

rel·​a·​tive ˈre-lə-tiv 

1

a

: a person connected with another by blood or marriage

an inheritance from a distant relative

b

: an animal or plant related to another by common descent

2

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

3

: a word (such as a relative pronoun) referring grammatically to an antecedent

relative

2 of 2

adjective

1

: relevant, pertinent

matters relative to world peace

2

: not absolute or independent : comparative

the relative isolation of life in the country

3

: introducing a subordinate clause qualifying an expressed or implied antecedent

the relative pronouns "who," "which," and "that

also : introduced by such a connective

a relative clause

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

Synonyms of relative

Noun

• cousin
• relation

Adjective

• comparative
• comparable
• almost

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

Careers and families took up their time and energy; vacations were for kids’ college tours or visiting relatives. —Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 16 Feb. 2026

About 200 private colleges and universities use an additional tool, the College Scholarship Service Profile, which can still factor in help from grandparents and other relatives. —Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026

Adjective

Stakes are high for the landmark meeting, which could cement the relative stability between the world’s two biggest economies that emerged after a Xi-Trump meeting in South Korea last fall. —Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026

On average, increasing land-use mix by 20% was associated with a 7% relative increase in short-distance trips. —Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing relative

• blood relative
• it's all relative
• relative humidity
• relative to
• relative wind

Kids Definition

relative

1 of 2 noun

rel·​a·​tive ˈrel-ət-iv 

1

: a word referring grammatically to one that comes before it

2

: a person connected with another by blood or marriage

relative

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: introducing a subordinate clause that qualifies an expressed or implied antecedent

relative pronoun

b

: introduced by a word having such an antecedent

relative clause

2

: relevant, pertinent

questions relative to the topic

3

: existing in comparison to something else

the relative value of two houses

4

: having the same key signature

—used of major and minor keys and scales

relativeness noun

Legal Definition

relative

adjective

rel·​a·​tive

1

: not absolute

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : having or allowing some legal effect

a relative impediment

a relative simulation

see also relative nullity at nullity

relatively adverb