Definition Synonyms
Definition of relative - Reverso English Dictionary
Noun
1.
familyperson connected by blood or marriage
- She invited all her relatives to the reunion..
2.
biologyanimal or plant sharing a common origin
- The panda is a distant relative of the bear.
Adjective
1.
comparativeconsidered in relation or in proportion to something else
- His success is relative to his hard work..
2.
technologyexpressed in relation to another item
- The relative path is easier to use.
3.
musicTECH. having the same key but major or minorTECH.
- C major and A minor are relative keys.
4.
linguisticsTECH. depending on an antecedentTECH.
- The relative clause modifies the noun.
Expressions with relative
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concepts depend on context or perspective
In philosophy, everything is relative to the observer.
depends on individual viewpoint or situation
Success is not absolute; it's all relative.
person closely related by blood or marriage
She invited only her near relatives to the wedding.
person in your family connected by birth or ancestry
A cousin is a blood relative.
compared to something else
The company's profit is small relative to its revenue.
family member related through marriage
She invited all her relatives-in-law to the wedding.
when compared to something else, not in absolute terms
The price is low in relative terms.
level of power or effectiveness compared with another person thing or group
We studied the relative strength of different marketing strategies.
in a way that is not very difficult compared to others
She passed the test with relative ease.
speed of an object compared to another
The relative speed of the cars was 60 km/h.
clause that provides essential information about the noun
A defining relative clause gives essential information about the noun.
closest family member by blood, such as parent or sibling
She listed her brother as a first-degree relative on the medical form..
ratio of observations in a category to total observations
The relative frequency of students choosing math was 40%.
movement measured against another object from a chosen perspective
From the car, the trees’ relative motion seemed fast.
pronoun introducing a relative clause referring to an antecedent
The relative pronoun 'who' introduces the clause.
amount compared to another amount
The relative quantity of sugar is higher in this recipe.
average mass of an atom compared to one twelfth of carbon-12
The relative atomic mass of hydrogen is approximately 1.008..
subordinate clause giving extra information about a noun
In grammar, “who lives next door” is a relative clause modifying “man”.
percentage of water vapor in air compared to saturation
The relative humidity is 60% today.
how often something happens compared to another
The relative incidence of colds is higher in winter.
major key sharing a minor key's signature
C major is the relative major of A minor.
more votes than others but less than half
The candidate won with a relative majority.
minor key sharing a major key's signature
C major's relative minor is A minor.
sum of relative atomic masses in a molecule
The relative molecular mass of water is 18.
Origin of relative
Latin, relativus (related)
Terms with relative included in their meaning
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relative place
the place in which
relative clause
introducing a clause giving more information about a person
relative distance
not far away in relative terms
relative position
located above another place on a standard map
location
used to indicate location or direction relative to another
size measure
relative size or extent of something
grammar
introduces a relative clause referring to a noun
fused relative
used to refer to the thing that
fused relative
relative pronoun used to ask about a person in questions
fused relative
the reason for which
positioning
arrangement in a straight line or correct relative positions
genealogy
relative sharing two grandparents but different parents
relative position
most far away in place, time, rank or intensity
caregiving
family member who provides unpaid support to a relative
family
relative from the same family line but several steps away in relationship
sociology
human conduct relative to social norms
relative assessment
considered in relation to something else
measurement
relative size or extent of something
grammar
used to indicate possession in relative clauses
measurement
relative size or importance
figurative overshadow
be overshadowed throughout life by a relative or predecessor
align directionally
align or position something relative to a compass
decision making
judge the relative value of facts before choosing what to do
relative grading
assign grades relative to peers' performance
Examples of relative in a sentence
He discovered a new relative through a DNA test. The dolphin is a close relative of the whale. The tomato is a relative of the potato. The value of the property is relative to its location. Her happiness is relative to her achievements. The relative humidity was higher than expected.
She calculated the relative speed of the two cars. The relative minor of E major is C# minor. G major and E minor are relative scales. A relative pronoun introduces the clause. The relative adverb connects the sentences.
View all translations of relative
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:parent, relatif, ...
- German:Verwandter, relativ, ...
- Italian:familiare, relativo, ...
- Spanish:pariente, comparativo, ...
- Portuguese:parente, proporcional, ...
- Chinese:亲戚, 相对的, ...
- Japanese:親戚, 相対的な, ...
- Arabic:قَرِيب, نِسْبِيّ, ...
- Hebrew:קָרוֹב מִשְׁפָּחָה, יַחֲסִי, ...
- Russian:родственник, относительный, ...
- Ukrainian:родич, відносний, ...
- Hindi:रिश्तेदार, सापेक्ष, ...
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