as in cousin
a person connected with another by blood or marriage
it's always fun to see all your relatives at a big family gathering
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in comparative
being such only when compared to something else
after being crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, they lived in relative comfort in a two-bedroom house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relevant
having to do with the matter at hand
I don't need the whole story, just the details that are relative to the case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of relative
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
Born in Arizona, Chavez moved frequently with his farmworker family before settling in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood on the east side, where relatives lived.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 June 2026
The government of Kagame, whose party has ruled Rwanda since 1994, has tried to bridge ethnic divisions using legal means and other measures, and has been praised by many for presiding over relative peace and stability.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relative
Noun
Reach out to siblings, neighbors and relatives.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
Born in Arizona, Chavez moved frequently with his farmworker family before settling in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood on the east side, where relatives lived.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Adjective
But the relative lack of details provided by the Braves thus far isn’t encouraging … nor is the history of pitchers bouncing back after spending so much time under the knife.
—Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 June 2026
The government of Kagame, whose party has ruled Rwanda since 1994, has tried to bridge ethnic divisions using legal means and other measures, and has been praised by many for presiding over relative peace and stability.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for relative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relative
Noun
-
In the summer of 2009 Ronaldo took a trip to Las Vegas — weeks before his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid — with his brother-in-law and cousin.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
My only entry point was Kendrick's vote of confidence, more notable for the fact that the honor had thus far gone only to his cousin Baby Keem (who this year released a great record beholden to event-album constraints).—
Sheldon Pearce,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hartzog graduated from The American University of Paris with a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature and philosophy.—
Oscar Hartzog,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
-
The study grew out of a broader question about prosocial behavior—why some species help others and some don’t, says comparative ethologist and study co-author Melitta Csepregi, who studies animal behavior at ELTE Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary.—
Anirban Mukhopadhyay,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the one that kept cropping up, and is most relevant to the antitrust trial, is that the car was meant to — and theoretically is — saving teams money.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Tony is Tony Berg, the industry lifer from the days of Bette Midler and The Rocky Horror Picture Show who has remained relevant for the half-century since.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Extravagance and the consequent money troubles force him to rent his estate to an admiral, which brings his family into the society of naval men—including Captain Wentworth, a suitor who Anne was persuaded by her relations to reject eight years ago.—
Chris Cohen,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The case has centered on 23XI and Front Row depicting NASCAR as suppressing competition in their business relations with premier stock‑car racing teams.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
McGeady’s career was not, in the nicest possible way, comparable to Ronaldinho, but the two-touch spin became his trademark and will be familiar to gamers, as well as to Celtic, Spartak Moscow, Everton and Sunderland fans.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Sources interviewed for this story said that broadly speaking, prices remain high for contemporary works, despite the fact that comparable works can often be found for considerably less at auction.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whether compensation is available, though, will depend on the circumstances, the parties involved and applicable state laws.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Jurors unanimously concluded Musk’s claims were filed too late and fell outside the applicable statute of limitations.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
That also means its almost time for clocks to fall back.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Orange County has paid more than $39 million worth of settlements in the almost year since the Airport fire broke out and destroyed more than 100 structures, according to county officials.—
Michael Slaten,
Oc Register,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relative. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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