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
  • Most of his cousins have not been able to buy a house or start a family deep into their 30s.
    — Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • My dad’s cousin happened to know a friend of a friend who went there for late-stage cancer, and my dad was able to call him.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 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 latest phase includes six deliverables focused on demonstrating the full-scale Seaglider prototype in operationally relevant environments and advancing its integration into defense operations.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Tzachi Zach 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.
    — Tzachi Zach, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of relevant
Noun
  • Mundy claims that his group’s work has led to multiple convictions, despite his at-times contentious relations with police.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Hurst, a government relations and advocacy manager, has not previously held public office.
    — Haley Parsley October 2, Sacbee.com, 2 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
  • The court's conservative majority has, in multiple cases, ruled in favor of religious exemptions from generally applicable laws.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The taxation of payments depends on the trust’s income and the applicable ordering rules, so the payments should not automatically be considered tax-free.
    — D. Scott Kenik, Forbes.com, 2 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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