Wiktionary

relief

See also: Relief, reliéf, and reliëf

English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ɹɪˈliːf/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːf

Etymology 1 edit

From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.

Noun edit

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

  1. The removal of stress or discomfort.
    I sighed with relief when I found out that my daughter hadn't got lost, but was waiting for me at home.
  2. The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
    • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict‎[1]:
      Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, […] .”
    • 2020 April 8, Philip Haigh, “Out of the current crisis we could see meaningful changes”, in Rail, page 56:
      DfT's action was greeted with great relief in many quarters.
  3. Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
  4. The person who takes over a shift for another.
    Officer Schmidt can finally go home because his relief has arrived.
    • 1963 February, “Motive Power Miscellany: London Midland Region”, in Modern Railways, page 136:
      At Leeds a relief crew was waiting—but without a relief locomotive; after some discussion, the new men offered to take on the A3. [...].
  5. Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
    Relief arrived quickly after the disaster.
    • 1950 November, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Southern England”, in Railway Magazine, page 772:
      On busy days, they also may be seen bowling along the Brighton main line, north of Keymer Junction, with a relief Newhaven boat express, […] .
  6. (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
  7. A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
  8. A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2 edit

From Italian rilievo, from rilevare (“to raise”), from Latin relevō (“to raise”).

Noun edit

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

 
The relief of Diana at the Amalienburg, in Munich (Germany) (sense 2)
 
Relief with two putti and with a cartouche, above a door from Paris (sense 2)
  1. (uncountable) A method of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
  2. (countable) A sculpture or other artwork made with such a method.
  3. The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
  4. The difference of elevations on a surface.
    the relief on that part of the Earth's surface
    • 1947 January and February, “A Winter's Day on the Tyneside”, in Railway Magazine, page 29, photo caption:
      The approach to Newcastle (Central) Station from the north after a heavy snowfall. The complicated track layout is thrown into clear relief by the snow [referring to dark rails poking through the snow]
  5. Relative distinctness, perceived difference due to contrast.
  6. (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Adjective edit

relief (comparative more relief, superlative most relief)

  1. (of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.
  2. Of or used in letterpress.

Anagrams edit

Danish edit

 
Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French relief

Noun edit

relief n (singular definite relieffet, plural indefinite relieffer)

  1. relief (work of art)

Inflection edit

Declension of relief
neuter
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative relief relieffet relieffer reliefferne
genitive reliefs relieffets relieffers relieffernes

References edit

French edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old French, from relever.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

relief m (plural reliefs)

  1. projection, relief
  2. (geography, mineralogy) relief, surface elevation
  3. (figuratively) contrast, definition, offset (against something else)
    mettre en relief ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
  4. (sculpture) relief

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • → Bulgarian: реле́ф (reléf)
  • → Danish: relief
  • → Polish: relief
  • → Romanian: relief
  • → Russian: рельеф (relʹjef)
  • → Swedish: relief
  • → Turkish: rölyef

Further reading edit

Polish edit

 
Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French relief, from Old French relief, from relever, from Latin relevare.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

relief m inan

  1. (sculpture) relief

Declension edit

Declension of relief
singular plural
nominative relief reliefy
genitive reliefu reliefów
dative reliefowi reliefom
accusative relief reliefy
instrumental reliefem reliefami
locative reliefie reliefach
vocative reliefie reliefy

Further reading edit

  • relief in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • relief in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French relief.

Noun edit

relief n (plural reliefuri)

  1. relief (difference of elevations on the Earth's surface)

Related terms edit

Swedish edit

Noun edit

relief c

  1. a relief (type of artwork)

Declension edit

Declension of relief 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative relief reliefen reliefer relieferna
Genitive reliefs reliefens reliefers reliefernas

Derived terms edit

References edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=relief&oldid=79396224"