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 The sterile display bears little relation to the equipment after the fire, so the attorneys and their fire investigators viewed pre-fire photos of the poles. Jennifer McDermott, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023 But that is the only position battle still not resolved, according to the team's media relations department, which put out the depth chart on Tuesday afternoon. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 6 Sep. 2023 Cuba was a major ally of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and relations between Havana and Moscow have remained cozy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Christian Edwards, CNN, 5 Sep. 2023 The 1960s was a turbulent time for race relations in the country and the city. Megan Sims, cleveland, 4 Sep. 2023 White House officials did not publicly confirm that such a meeting was expected to take place but expressed growing concern over relations between Moscow and Pyongyang — and urged Kim not to move forward with the trip or sell weapons to Moscow. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023 Washington-Beijing relations have taken a nosedive since then, after a Chinese spy craft traversed the continental United States earlier this year. Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023 Olly Box The use of different words such as sovereignty rather than government and possession rather than chieftainship are complicating relations almost 200 years later. Saphora Smith, NBC News, 27 Aug. 2023 The church, meanwhile, built good diplomatic relations with the government officials, assuring them that any future missionaries would be sensitive to the culture. Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Aug. 2023 See More

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 26 Sep. 2023.

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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