relief

noun

re·lief | \ri-ˈlēf

Definition of relief

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

7a : 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

relief

adjective

Definition of relief (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : providing relief

2 : characterized by surface inequalities

3 : of or used in letterpress

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about relief

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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

Pursuing economic development means getting sanctions relief. — Alex Ward, Vox, "How Trump made the North Korea crisis worse," 12 Dec. 2018 Conditions in a home impacting the daily emotional well-being of the person(s) seeking relief. — Jennifer Lance, Glamour, "Your Divorce Glossary: A-to-Z Terms You Need to Know," 26 Nov. 2018 The gangster demanding the singer get them relief from the government. — Lee Server, Town & Country, "The Real Reason Frank Sinatra Was Banned from the Kennedy White House," 7 Nov. 2018 Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty expressed relief at the quick resolution at Louie’s. — Frances Stead Sellers, Washington Post, "Two Oklahoma citizens killed an active shooter, and it's not as simple as it sounds," 13 July 2018 The real estate site found that nationwide inventory jumped 12.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, perhaps offering some relief to buyers trying to find a home in what’s been called the most competitive market in history. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Housing inventory rises—but not enough to make homes more affordable," 12 July 2018 When given the opportunity to bring some relief to that broken heart through matrimony, King instead decided to break it again — and that emotional blow made Batman even stronger. — David Betancourt, chicagotribune.com, "Fans were mad that Batman and Catwoman's wedding day surprise was ruined. But the story is still great.," 10 July 2018 Kelina Smith, 30, also a lawyer and colleague of Ho’s, took notes on the class and expressed relief. — Carolyne Zinko, SFChronicle.com, "Techies change the world, but can they choose the right knife and fork?," 3 July 2018 My diagnosis of Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, meant high-intensity and contact sports were off the table for me—which felt like more of a relief than a deprival at the time. — Wellesley Boboc, SELF, "7 Easy Things That Have Helped Me Stop Hate Running and Actually Kind of Enjoy It," 15 Nov. 2018

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.