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
Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Authorities did not identify the person pending the notification of relatives.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
The cartel leaders summoned Garcia to a wooded area, along with another man and a married couple, believed to be Garcia's relatives.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Several of Rodriguez’s relatives could be seen turning away in the gallery, and one woman teared up.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, this season alone, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk found out King Charles is his 11th cousin and Ciara realized Derek Jeter is a relative.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Efforts to reach Hinnant’s relatives were not successful.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
So does their crowded living situation: Abdel Hadi, the new baby and her three older children are staying with relatives, a large extended family crammed in together, sleeping three on a mattress.
—Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024
One of the missing Brawner Builders employees has been identified by Telemundo Washington D.C. as 49-year-old Miguel Luna of El Salvador, whose relatives say has six children.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, what is the harm in having your baby have a similar, or exact name as a friend or relative?
—Kristina Behr, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
This act of metrology will allow precise tracking of the relative position and orientation of the two spacecraft.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, about 18 years and 11 days after an eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon will return to about the same relative positions, and a near-identical eclipse will occur.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the company’s three-year relative TSR between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023 was 189%, landing it at the 99th percentile relative to the S&P 500.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Since then, relative calm has returned to Alice Springs, or Mparntwe, its traditional name.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
As climate change continues to fuel more fires, the relative increase in area burned will be much bigger.
—Mark Kreider, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
Looking at the 1%'s wealth share in those places, the group held 30% in Germany, but just 21% in the other two countries, showing some differences in relative inequality.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
On most weekends, dozens of relatives would gather for a birthday party or a university graduation.
—Mohammad Al Sawalhi, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
Authorities did not identify the person pending the notification of relatives.
—Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024
The cartel leaders summoned Garcia to a wooded area, along with another man and a married couple, believed to be Garcia's relatives.
—Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Several of Rodriguez’s relatives could be seen turning away in the gallery, and one woman teared up.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, this season alone, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk found out King Charles is his 11th cousin and Ciara realized Derek Jeter is a relative.
—Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Efforts to reach Hinnant’s relatives were not successful.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
So does their crowded living situation: Abdel Hadi, the new baby and her three older children are staying with relatives, a large extended family crammed in together, sleeping three on a mattress.
—Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 28 Mar. 2024
One of the missing Brawner Builders employees has been identified by Telemundo Washington D.C. as 49-year-old Miguel Luna of El Salvador, whose relatives say has six children.
—Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Adjective
This year, the department withheld the usual 10% as a baseline, then subtracted another 7% to adjust for the decrease in relative poverty.
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, what is the harm in having your baby have a similar, or exact name as a friend or relative?
—Kristina Behr, Parents, 10 Apr. 2024
This act of metrology will allow precise tracking of the relative position and orientation of the two spacecraft.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
Also, about 18 years and 11 days after an eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon will return to about the same relative positions, and a near-identical eclipse will occur.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Apr. 2024
However, the company’s three-year relative TSR between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023 was 189%, landing it at the 99th percentile relative to the S&P 500.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Since then, relative calm has returned to Alice Springs, or Mparntwe, its traditional name.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
As climate change continues to fuel more fires, the relative increase in area burned will be much bigger.
—Mark Kreider, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
Looking at the 1%'s wealth share in those places, the group held 30% in Germany, but just 21% in the other two countries, showing some differences in relative inequality.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 29 Mar. 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 19 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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