relief

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noun re·lief \ ri-ˈlēf \

Definition of relief

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 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

[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

See relief defined for English-language learners

See relief defined for kids

Examples of relief in a Sentence

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 of relief from the Web

Such a declaration could end the nuclear deal, which imposed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear activities for 15 years in exchange for sanctions relief.

— gardiner harris, New York Times, "If Report Says Iran Is Abiding by Nuclear Deal, Will Trump Heed It?," 27 Aug. 2017
Portlight is a local grassroots organization that provides disaster relief to disabled people.

— laurel pinson, Glamour, "How You Can Help Victims of Harvey in Texas, No Matter Where You Are," 27 Aug. 2017
Brian Clark (6-1) got the win in relief. Sunday: The Knights won 12-5 over Gwinnett, with Gillaspie collecting a single and two doubles.

— steve lyttle, charlotteobserver, "Here’s what the Charlotte Knights need to keep attendance title for minor leagues," 27 Aug. 2017
Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 30 counties on Wednesday as Harvey approached, and President Trump signed a disaster declaration, which means Texas can receive federal aid for disaster-relief efforts.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "‘The Rainfall Threat Is Only Beginning’," 26 Aug. 2017
President Trump signed a disaster proclamation, allocating federal funds for state and local relief efforts.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Hurricane Harvey Is Now A Tropical Storm," 26 Aug. 2017
A number of school officials from less-affluent communities expressed relief Friday that Malloy’s plan would allow state education aid to their cities and towns to remain at last year’s levels.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Malloy School Aid Cuts Shock Local Officials," 19 Aug. 2017
Carbo said the state is likely to provide support to New Orleans, though Landrieu and the city will continue to take the lead on response and relief efforts.

— julia o'donoghue, NOLA.com, "John Bel Edwards assisting Mitch Landrieu on potential flooding," 10 Aug. 2017
Their representatives in Washington have tallied the votes in favor of relief and picked up the call, as has the media.

— milton ezrati, National Review, "Globalization Can Be Good for American Workers," 7 Aug. 2017

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

Illustration of relief

Origin and Etymology of relief

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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relief Synonyms

Synonyms

cheer, consolation, comfort, solace

Related Words

encouragement, inspiration, uplift; assurance, reassurance; alleviation, assuagement, mitigation; contentment, gladness, happiness; commiseration, empathy, sympathy; aid, assistance, help, succor

Near Antonyms

cold comfort; anguish, distress, heartache, heartbreak, torment, torture

relief

adjective

Definition of relief

1 :providing relief

2 :characterized by surface inequalities

3 :of or used in letterpress

First Known Use of relief

1776

RELIEF Defined for English Language Learners

relief

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noun

Definition of relief for English Language Learners

: a pleasant and relaxed feeling that someone has when something unpleasant stops or does not happen
: the removal or reducing of something that is painful or unpleasant
: things (such as food, money, or medicine) that are given to help people who are victims of a war, earthquake, flood, etc.

RELIEF Defined for Kids

relief

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noun re·lief \ ri-ˈlēf \

Definition of relief for Students

1 :the feeling of happiness that occurs when something unpleasant or distressing stops or does not happen

What a relief to be home safe.

2 :removal or lessening of something painful or troubling

I need relief from this headache.

3 :something that interrupts in a welcome way

The rain was a relief from dry weather.

4 :release from a post or from performance of a duty

relief of a guard

5 :welfare 2

6 :a sculpture in which figures or designs are raised from a background

7 :elevations of a land surface

The map shows relief.

Medical Dictionary

relief

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noun re·lief \ ri-ˈlēf \

medical Definition of relief

:removal or lightening of something oppressive or distressing

relief of pain

symptomatic relief

Law Dictionary

relief

noun re·lief

legal Definition of relief

: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

Learn More about relief

See words that rhyme with relief Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for relief Spanish Central: Translation of relief Nglish: Translation of relief for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of relief for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about relief

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relief

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RELIEF Defined for English Language Learners

relief

Definition of relief for English Language Learners

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medical Definition of relief

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relief

legal Definition of relief

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