rel·a·tive
ˈre-lə-tiv 
1
: introducing a subordinate clause qualifying an expressed or implied antecedent
a relative pronoun
also
: introduced by such a connective
a relative clause
3
: not absolute or independent : comparative
the relative isolation of life in the country
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
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
Mark Scolforo, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
About half of student parents nationwide rely entirely on relatives for child care.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
These two bones appear about 13 million years after their latest geologic relatives.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024
Lately, though, that cultural pessimism seems to have come closer to home: fear of neighbors with a different flag in their apartment windows, anger at other parents in the school pickup line with the wrong stickers on their bumpers, even disdain for close relatives at the Thanksgiving table.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
Now that the Sasquatch Sunset is complete and arriving in theaters on April 19, Eisenberg wanted to surprise some of the animals who informed his Sasquatch performance: bonobos, one of humanity's closest animal relatives.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Bebe Hodges The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is seeking any relatives or friends of Zachary Parker.
—The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
If the application is pending at the U.S. National Visa Center, such as a petition for a green card for a relative, applicants may contact the center at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry to request a transfer to another immigrant visa processing post.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
On March 26, Trump was barred from commenting on potential witnesses in the case, prospective jurors, court staff, lawyers in Bragg's office and the relatives of any counsel or court staffer — but was free to attack Bragg and Merchan.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
William Mullane, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2024
Surely that would be a topic of discourse among the grown-ups in the camp, yet even here, in a place where characters have an opportunity to eat and sleep in relative safety, Civil War never fully explains why there is a civil war.
—Eisa Nefertari Ulen, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
But on a relative basis, the Utes were in reasonably solid shape.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Members of the Kennedy family, one of the most iconic names in Democratic politics, formally endorsed President Joe Biden's reelection bid Thursday in a firm rejection of their relative Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But the relative absence of stone tool fragments — what archeologists call lithic —demonstrates that peoples’ time in the tunnels was relatively transitory.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Rather than preparing the public for a showdown with its archrival, the government signaled a return to relative normalcy, lifting restrictions on large gatherings and allowing schools to reopen.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, folks may not realize what a relative bargain postage in the U.S. is, at least when compared to mailing costs around the world.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
Yet despite those huge changes, the relative size of the two big political-party coalitions has stayed almost identical.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
Investigators later said the driver was unaware of the scam call that Brock had received with threats and demands for money, citing an incarcerated relative.
—Mark Scolforo, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
About half of student parents nationwide rely entirely on relatives for child care.
—Jon Marcus, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
These two bones appear about 13 million years after their latest geologic relatives.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024
Lately, though, that cultural pessimism seems to have come closer to home: fear of neighbors with a different flag in their apartment windows, anger at other parents in the school pickup line with the wrong stickers on their bumpers, even disdain for close relatives at the Thanksgiving table.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
Now that the Sasquatch Sunset is complete and arriving in theaters on April 19, Eisenberg wanted to surprise some of the animals who informed his Sasquatch performance: bonobos, one of humanity's closest animal relatives.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Bebe Hodges The Hamilton County Coroner's Office is seeking any relatives or friends of Zachary Parker.
—The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024
If the application is pending at the U.S. National Visa Center, such as a petition for a green card for a relative, applicants may contact the center at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry to request a transfer to another immigrant visa processing post.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
On March 26, Trump was barred from commenting on potential witnesses in the case, prospective jurors, court staff, lawyers in Bragg's office and the relatives of any counsel or court staffer — but was free to attack Bragg and Merchan.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
Adjective
This period of relative quiet allows for innovation and exploration of new use cases.
—William Mullane, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2024
Surely that would be a topic of discourse among the grown-ups in the camp, yet even here, in a place where characters have an opportunity to eat and sleep in relative safety, Civil War never fully explains why there is a civil war.
—Eisa Nefertari Ulen, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
But on a relative basis, the Utes were in reasonably solid shape.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Members of the Kennedy family, one of the most iconic names in Democratic politics, formally endorsed President Joe Biden's reelection bid Thursday in a firm rejection of their relative Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But the relative absence of stone tool fragments — what archeologists call lithic —demonstrates that peoples’ time in the tunnels was relatively transitory.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Rather than preparing the public for a showdown with its archrival, the government signaled a return to relative normalcy, lifting restrictions on large gatherings and allowing schools to reopen.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Still, folks may not realize what a relative bargain postage in the U.S. is, at least when compared to mailing costs around the world.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024
Yet despite those huge changes, the relative size of the two big political-party coalitions has stayed almost identical.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to relative
Dictionary Entries Near relative
Cite this Entry
“Relative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relative. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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 adjective1
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
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
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