relational

adjective

re·​la·​tion·​al ri-ˈlā-shnəl How to pronounce relational (audio)
-shə-nᵊl
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

Examples of relational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ultimately, every person has to make their own decision to stop drinking so much social media poison and start taking more relational vitamins. MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 Financial, emotional, physical and relational costs that don’t show up in your pitch deck or profit and loss (P&L) statement. Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Libra’s relational intelligence supports you in restoring connection with those on your own terms. Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025 Here comes the public bathroom again: a counter-place where private and relational dimension mingle, where the visible challenges the invisible, where decency collides with guilty pleasure and exposure flirts with occultation. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relational

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of relational was in 1662

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Cite this Entry

“Relational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relational. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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