relief

1 of 2

noun

re·​lief ri-ˈlēf 

1

: a payment made by a male feudal tenant to his lord on succeeding to an inherited estate

2

a

: removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing

b

: welfare sense 2a

c

: military assistance to an endangered post or force

d

: means of breaking or avoiding monotony or boredom : diversion

3

: release from a post or from the performance of duty

4

: one that takes the place of another on duty

5

: legal remedy or redress

6

[French, from Middle French, from Italian rilievo relievo]

a

: a mode of sculpture in which forms and figures are distinguished from a surrounding plane surface

b

: sculpture or a sculptural form executed in this mode

c

: projecting detail, ornament, or figures

7

a

: sharpness of outline due to contrast

a roof in bold relief against the sky

b

: the state of being distinguished by contrast

throws the two opinions into bold relief

8

: the elevations or inequalities of a land surface

9

: the pitching done by a relief pitcher

two innings of hitless relief

Illustration of relief

• relief 6b

relief

2 of 2

adjective

1

: providing relief

2

: characterized by surface inequalities

3

: of or used in letterpress

Synonyms

Noun

• consolation
• comfort
• encouragement

Examples of relief in a Sentence

Noun

I felt such a sense of relief after I finished my thesis.

He expressed relief that the crisis was finally over.

Much to everyone's relief, the airplane took off without any problems.

What a relief it is to be back home.

Exercise is an excellent source of stress relief.

Both candidates promised tax relief for middle-class families.

Countries from around the world have been sending relief to the flood victims.

We donated to the relief effort for the hurricane victims.

My father lost his job and we had to go on relief.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Temporary air conditioning units can provide relief from extreme heat, however these systems consume tremendous amounts of energy. —Claire Poole, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025

The Cubs, meanwhile, sought payroll relief and had a glut of outfielders following their offseason acquisition of Tucker. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025

Adjective

The Supreme Court has previously rejected requests to hear other cases where anti-relief plaintiffs had been dismissed by lower courts. —Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 Dec. 2022

The anti-relief faction, with its sudden warnings about deficits, is eager to revive the Tea Party spirit, and its would-be leaders are ur-Tea Partyers like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. —Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, 4 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English relef, relief, from Anglo-French, from relever to relieve

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing relief

• aid/relief convoy
• bas-relief
• breathe a sigh of relief
• comic relief
• disaster relief
• high relief
• low relief
• relief map
• relief pitcher
• relief printing
• relief road

Rhymes for relief

• belief
• broadleaf
• debrief
• flyleaf
• khalif
• kharif
• longleaf
• massif
• motif
• saif
• serif
• beef

Kids Definition

relief

noun

re·​lief

ri-ˈlēf

1

a

: removal or lightening of something painful, troubling, burdensome, or dangerous

b

: welfare sense 2a

c

: military assistance to a post or force in extreme danger

d

: a means of breaking boredom : diversion

a quick swim was a welcome relief from the job

2

: release from duty

3

: one that takes the place of another on duty

4

: the legal correction of a wrong

5

a

: elevation of figures or designs from the background (as in sculpture)

b

: a work of art with such raised figures

c

: projecting detail or figures in sculpture

6

: sharpness of outline

a roof in bold relief against the sky

7

: the elevations of a land surface

a map showing relief

Medical Definition

relief

noun

re·​lief ri-ˈlēf 

: removal or lightening of something oppressive or distressing

relief of pain

symptomatic relief

Legal Definition

relief

noun

re·​lief

: redress, assistance, or protection given by law especially from a court

should state what relief the plaintiff seeks

: as

a

: release from obligation or duty

relief from judgment

b

: an order from a court granting a particular remedy (as return of property)

injunctive relief

declaratory relief

see also remedy