relational

adjective re·la·tion·al \ -shnəl , -shə-nᵊl \

Definition of relational

1 :of or relating to kinship

2 :characterized or constituted by relations

3 :having the function chiefly of indicating a relation of syntax

has is notional in he has luck, relational in he has gone

4 :relating to, using, or being a method of organizing data in a database so that it is perceived by the user as a set of tables

—

relationally

adverb

Recent Examples of relational from the Web

Outside of Louviere's killing, most of the homicides this year have been relational, Normand said, involving suspects and victims who knew each other.

— michelle hunter, NOLA.com, "Crime in unincorporated Jefferson Parish down 9 percent in first half of 2017," 11 July 2017
RM: Our music is usually not directly relational to what’s happening.

— chris payne, Billboard, "Algiers Talks Resisting Trump, Fascism & the Need for 'Militant Politics'," 23 June 2017
These everyday questions require relational reasoning, an important component of higher thought that has been difficult for artificial intelligence to master.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Computers that ‘think’ like humans, research chimps that can’t retire, and a protein that can halt the flu," 16 June 2017
These everyday questions require relational reasoning, an important component of higher thought that has been difficult for artificial intelligence (AI) to master.

— matthew hutson, Science | AAAS, "Computers are starting to reason like humans," 14 June 2017
So, too, does the insight that ambition is relational.

— moira weigel, New York Times, "Feminism Takes Form in Essays, Questions and Manifestos," 7 June 2017
The most common secrets that people shared with no one else were: extra-relational thoughts (thinking something romantic or sexual about someone other than your partner), romantic desire, sexual behavior, and lies.

— julie beck, The Atlantic, "The Worst Part of Keeping a Secret," 15 May 2017
The scientists also surveyed their parents, finding kids who frequently engage with superheroes especially prone to physical and relational aggressive one year later.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Your Kid's Superhero Obsession Could Be Making Him More Aggressive," 30 Jan. 2017
Creator 2.0, as the company calls the new version, is aimed at providing MS Access-like database functionality to users who may not understand all the intricacies of relational database management.

— scott gilbertson, WIRED, "Zoho Creator 2.0: Free And Easy-to-use Database Tools," 13 June 2007

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relational.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of relational

1662

Learn More about relational

See words that rhyme with relational Britannica English: Translation of relational for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up relational? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

relational

Definition of relational

relationally

Recent Examples of relational from the Web

First Known Use of relational

Learn More about relational

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

chary

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Spox' May Go On The Record

C'mon, Of Course 'Myriad' Is a Noun

'Gamut' and 'Gambit' (and 'Gauntlet' Too)

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Forms of Government Quiz

Original Meanings Quiz

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'Spox' May Go On The Record

Trending: New Joe Ide Novel Causes 'Righteous' Spike

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066

relational

Definition of relational

relationally

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Recent Examples of relational from the Web

First Known Use of relational

Learn More about relational

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Spox' May Go On The Record

Trending: New Joe Ide Novel Causes 'Righteous' Spike

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066