RELATIVE

relative, comparative

(adjective) estimated by comparison; not absolute or complete; ā€œa relative strangerā€

proportional, relative

(adjective) properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by ā€˜toā€™; ā€œthe punishment ought to be proportional to the crimeā€; ā€œearnings relative to productionā€

relative, congener, congenator, congeneric

(noun) an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)

relative, relation

(noun) a person related by blood or marriage; ā€œpolice are searching for relatives of the deceasedā€; ā€œhe has distant relations back in New Jerseyā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

relative (not comparable)

Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.

(computing, of a URL, URI, path, or similar) Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.

(grammar) That relates to an antecedent.

(music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.

Relevant; pertinent; related.

Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.

Synonyms

• comparative

• conditional

• limited

Antonyms

• absolute

• unlimited

Noun

relative (plural relatives)

Someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.

(linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.

Synonyms

• See also relative

Anagrams

• levirate

Source: Wiktionary


Rel"a*tive (rl"-tv), a. Etym: [F. relatif, L. relativus. See Relate.]

1. Having relation or reference; referring; respecting; standing in connection; pertaining; as, arguments not relative to the subject. I'll have grounds More relative than this. Shak.

2. Arising from relation; resulting from connection with, or reference to, something else; not absolute. Every thing sustains both an absolute and a relative capacity: an absolute, as it is such a thing, endued with such a nature; and a relative, as it is a part of the universe, and so stands in such a relations to the whole. South.

3. (Gram.)

Definition: Indicating or expressing relation; refering to an antecedent; as, a relative pronoun.

4. (Mus.)

Definition: Characterizing or pertaining to chords and keys, which, by reason of the identify of some of their tones, admit of a natural transition from one to the other. Moore (Encyc. of Music). Relative clause (Gram.), a clause introduced by a relative pronoun.

– Relative term, a term which implies relation to, as guardian to ward, matter to servant, husband to wife. Cf. Correlative.

Rel"a*tive, n.

Definition: One who, or that which, relates to, or is considered in its relation to, something else; a relative object or term; one of two object or term; one of two objects directly connected by any relation. Specifically: (a) A person connected by blood or affinity; strictly, one allied by blood; a relation; a kinsman or kinswoman. "Confining our care . . . to ourselves and relatives." Bp. Fell. (b) (Gram.) A relative prnoun; a word which relates to, or represents, another word or phrase, called its antecedent; as, the relatives " who", "which", "that".

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

1 March 2025

AROMATIC

(adjective) (chemistry) of or relating to or containing one or more benzene rings; ā€œan aromatic organic compoundā€


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Coffee Trivia

An article published in Harvard Menā€™s Health Watch in 2012 shows heavy coffee drinkers live longer. The researchers examined data from 400,000 people and found out that men who drank six or more coffee cups per day had a 10% lower death rate.

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