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
This includes a person's race, ethnicity, disease carrier status, health conditions, and biological relatives. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 Sites such as Spokeo, Whitepages and BeenVerified can contain address histories, possible relatives, phone numbers, email addresses and property information. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Female sharks often use shallow, warmer waters as nursery grounds, where young sharks can feed and grow with relative protection. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Compared with the political circus in Washington and the malaise in the rest of America, such surface-level manifestations of China’s wealth and power often lead to sweeping conclusions about relative national trajectories. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 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 cousin had made it to the top of the suicide-bomber list at Menagh, said his prayers, and taken his position behind the driver’s seat in a truck full of explosives.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The third installment pivots slightly, focusing more on the experiences of Debra, who is haunted and hunted in the same way as her cousin, Jenny.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of cousin
Adjective
  • Argentina’s program is poised to be one of the most popular options on the market, due to the country's comparative proximity to the United States, strong economy, and passport power.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The company did not publish comparative data on buoyancy, deployment time or field performance between the two generations.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of comparative
Adjective
  • The coordination ensures the news outlets have equal access to video and pictures of events and proceedings relevant to American citizens, as well as transcripts.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • And even over the course of making the film, a lot of things have come up that have felt particularly relevant to what was going on.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of relevant
Noun
  • Pilots from states without diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Oman, are in theory prohibited from landing in Israel.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Cheeks got his first formal assignment on the creative side — and showed his talent relations skills — when, as EVP Business Operations for NBC and Universal TV, he was put in charge of NBC Late Night in 2014.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of relation
Adjective
  • Thiessen said those events are not directly comparable to a new baseball stadium, which would host many more games regularly.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • That’s harder to find in fashion these days, as the comparable speed of digital culture increases trend turnover and even algorithmic advertising struggles to keep up with what looking empirically cool means.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of comparable
Adjective
  • Every action has an equal and opposition reaction, a law of physics that’s equally applicable to the realm of politics.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • This strategy could also result in higher survivor benefits, if applicable.
    — John Csiszar, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of applicable
Adjective
  • Home of a fur seal trade leading to an almost extinction of seals, a whaling station, and then many volcanic eruptions leading to the destruction of scientific stations, this island looks like it is cursed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 14 Oct. 2026.

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