plural relatives
1
: a member of your family
At the family reunion, I saw relatives I haven't seen in years.
He inherited a small piece of land from a distant relative.
2
: something that belongs to the same group as something else because of shared characteristics, qualities, etc.
The donkey is a relative of the horse.
1
a
: compared to someone or something else or to each other
the relative value of two houses
What are the relative advantages of the different methods? [=what are the advantages of each method compared to the others?]
the relative positions of the islands
We discussed the relative merits of each school.
The car might seem expensive, but it's all relative. [=the car is expensive compared to some cars but not to other cars]
b
: seeming to be something when compared with others
I'm a relative newcomer to the area. [=I am not really new to the area but I am more of a newcomer than many people]
We did it with relative [=comparative] ease.
2
grammar
: referring to a noun, a part of a sentence, or a sentence that was used earlier
"Who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "that" are all relative pronouns.
The phrase "that won" in "the book that won" is a relative clause.
Cite this Entry
“Relative.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/relative. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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