English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle French relatif, from Late Latin relātīvus, from Latin relātus, perfect passive participle of referō (to carry back, to ascribe), from re- (again) + ferō (to bear or carry).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv/
    • (US, Canada) IPA(key): (flapped) [ˈɹɛl.ə.ɾɪv], (enunciated) [ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv][note 1]
      • (file)
      • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛlətɪv

Adjective edit

relative (not comparable)

  1. Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.
    • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, BBC Sport:
      For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.
  2. (computing, of a URL, URI, path, or similar) Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.
    The relative URL /images/pic.jpg, when evaluated in the context of http://example.com/docs/pic.html, corresponds to the absolute URL http://example.com/images/pic.jpg.
  3. (grammar) Depending on an antecedent; comparative.
    The words “big” and “small” are relative.
  4. (music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.
  5. (archaic or rare) Relevant; pertinent; related.
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 264, column 2:
      The Spirit that I haue ſeene
      May be the Diuell, and the Diuel hath power
      T'aſſume a pleaſing ſhape, yea and perhaps
      Out of my Weakneſſe, and my Melancholly,
      As he is very potent with ſuch Spirits,
      Abuſes me to damne me. Ile haue grounds
      More Relatiue then this: The play's the thing,
      Wherein Ile catch the Conſcience of the King.
    relative to your earlier point about taxes, ...
  6. Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

relative (plural relatives)

  1. Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.
    Why do my relatives always talk about sex?
  2. (figurative) Something kindred or related to something else.
    Synonym: cousin
  3. (linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.

Synonyms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In General American and Canadian English, the flapped [ɾ] pronunciation [ˈɹɛl.ə.ɾɪv] is more common than the aspirated [tʰ] pronunciation [ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv]; but in the derived adverb relatively, the aspirated pronunciation [ˈɹɛl.ə.tʰɪv.li] is more common, though the flap-t version can still be heard, especially in casual speech.

Anagrams edit

Danish edit

Adjective edit

relative

  1. inflection of relativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Esperanto edit

Etymology edit

From relativa +‎ -e.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): [relaˈtive]
  • Rhymes: -ive
  • Hyphenation: re‧la‧ti‧ve

Adverb edit

relative

  1. relatively

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective edit

relative

  1. feminine singular of relatif

Etymology 2 edit

Ellipsis of proposition subordonnée relative.

Noun edit

relative f (plural relatives)

  1. (grammar) relative clause, adjectival clause, adjective clause

Anagrams edit

German edit

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

relative

  1. inflection of relativ:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian edit

Adjective edit

relative f pl

  1. feminine plural of relativo

Anagrams edit

Latin edit

Etymology 1 edit

From relātīvus +‎ .

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

relātīvē (not comparable)

  1. (Late Latin) relatively

References edit

Etymology 2 edit

A regularly declined form of relātīvus.

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

relātīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of relātīvus

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Adjective edit

relative

  1. inflection of relativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Adjective edit

relative

  1. inflection of relativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Swedish edit

Adjective edit

relative

  1. definite natural masculine singular of relativ