relative 1 of 2

noun

ˈre-lə-tiv How to pronounce relative (audio)
Definition of relativenext
as in cousin
a person connected with another by blood or marriage it's always fun to see all your relatives at a big family gathering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

relative

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in comparative
being such only when compared to something else after being crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, they lived in relative comfort in a two-bedroom house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in relevant
having to do with the matter at hand I don't need the whole story, just the details that are relative to the case

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relative
Noun
Challenges generally are made by a relative or someone claiming rights under state law, a promise or a contract. — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The next morning, Ahuja began seeing messages from relatives about flash flooding. — Steve Inskeep, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The relative rarity and disturbing nature of these cases are part of what attracts so much attention, said Michelle Oberman, a law professor at Santa Clara University who has studied and written about women who kill their children. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 The relative risk numbers translate in absolute terms to 1% fewer cardiovascular events after seven years. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relative
  1. cousin
  2. comparative
  3. relevant
  4. relation
  5. comparable
  6. applicable
  7. almost
Noun
  • The prizes’ name is a reference to Ignatius (Ig) Nobel—a fictional character said to be a distant cousin of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel, for whom the Nobel Prizes are named—and is also a pun on the word ignoble.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Tell Me Lies star, 29, remembers playing with makeup as a child, experimenting on her younger sister and cousin.
    — Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cousin
Adjective
  • Its current manufacturing pitch says OneWeave can take a product from yarn to garment in 20 minutes, although that figure is a company claim and no comparative testing methodology is provided.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Missouri and Kansas use different comparative fault rules, so the state line can change what compensation may be available.
    — Matthew Kayser, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of comparative
Adjective
  • Winning longer term, Ngai said, requires investing in China to stay relevant in a giant consumer market — and consequently competitive in other countries where Chinese companies are expanding.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Abigail Witmer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
    — Abigail Witmer, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of relevant
Noun
  • Israel has seen its own relations with Turkey deteriorate during Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The expansion of the Pell grants to short-term programs has been a decade in the making, said Jim Hermes, associate vice president of government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of relation
Adjective
  • Estimating their value is difficult as comparable pieces rarely go on public auction.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Further specialist analyses will help determine whether the Kojetín hoard had a comparable significance.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of comparable
Adjective
  • The approach can be especially applicable when several providers in one area use similar equipment.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In court Friday, Rothblatt said prosecutors determined Company A had paid all applicable income taxes to the IRS on time, and that any personal income taxes that had been owed by Individual B were paid up in following years.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of applicable
Adjective
  • The Chiefs have long been the prototypical contender, the Steelers the paragon of the almost contenders … and the Jets, Browns and Raiders are usually in the third bucket.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 8 May 2026
  • That also means its almost time for clocks to fall back.
    — Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of almost

Browse Nearby Words

relationships
relative
relatively
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relative. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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