Relative

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: rel=a=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

Relative, a. [F. relatif, L. relativus. See Relate.].

•  Having relation or reference; referring; respecting; standing in connection; pertaining; as, arguments not relative to the subject.  [1913 Webster]

  "I'll have grounds
  More relative than this."  [1913 Webster]
•  Arising from relation; resulting from connection with, or reference to, something else; not absolute.  [1913 Webster]

  "Every thing sustains both an absolute and a relative capacity: an absolute, as it is such a thing, endued with such a nature; and a relative, as it is a part of the universe, and so stands in such a relations to the whole."  [1913 Webster]
•  Indicating or expressing relation; refering to an antecedent; as, a relative pronoun.  [1913 Webster]
•  Characterizing or pertaining to chords and keys, which, by reason of the identify of some of their tones, admit of a natural transition from one to the other.  Moore (Encyc. of Music).  [1913 Webster]

Relative clause (Gram.), a clause introduced by a relative pronoun. -- Relative term, a term which implies relation to, as guardian to ward, matter to servant, husband to wife. Cf. Correlative.

Relative, n. 

 One who, or that which, relates to, or is considered in its relation to, something else; a relative object or term; one of two object or term; one of two objects directly connected by any relation.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Relative, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 considered or having significance in relation to something else (relative velocity).
2 (foll. by to) having existence only as perceived or considered by (beauty is relative to the eye of the beholder).
3 (foll. by to) proportioned to (something else) (growth is relative to input).
4 implying comparison or contextual relation ('heat' is a relative word).
5 comparative; compared one with another (their relative advantages).
6 having mutual relations; corresponding in some way; related to each other.
7 (foll. by to) having reference or relating (the facts relative to the issue).
8 involving a different but corresponding idea (the concepts of husband and wife are relative to each other).
9 Gram. a (of a word, esp. a pronoun) referring to an expressed or implied antecedent and attaching a subordinate clause to it, e.g. which, who. b (of a clause) attached to an antecedent by a relative word.
10 Mus. (of major and minor keys) having the same key signature.
11 (of a service rank) corresponding in grade to another in a different service.
12 pertinent, relevant; related to the subject (need more relative proof).
--n.
1 a person connected by blood or marriage.
2 a species related to another by common origin (the apes, man's closest relatives).
3 Gram. a relative word, esp. a pronoun.
4 Philos. a relative thing or term.

Idiom

relative atomic mass the ratio of the average mass of one atom of an element to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12: also called atomic weight. relative density Chem. the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a standard, usu. water for a liquid or solid, and air for a gas. relative molecular mass the ratio of the average mass of one molecule of an element or compound to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12: also called molecular weight.

Derivative

relatival adj. (in sense 3 of n.). relatively adv. relativeness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF relatif -ive or LL relativus having reference or relation (as RELATE)

THESAURUS

Relative

affiliated, affinitive, agnate, allied, analogical, analogous, ancestry, appertaining, applicable, approximate, apropos, associated, associative, aunt, blood, blood relation, blood relative, brother, child, clansman, cognate, collatable, collateral, collateral relative, commensurable, commensurate, comparable, comparative, conditional, congenial, connected, connections, connective, consanguinean, contingent, contingent on, correlative, cousin, daughter, dependent on, distaff side, distant relation, en rapport, enate, family, father, flesh, flesh and blood, folks, german, germane, grandchild, granddaughter, grandfather, grandmother, grandparent, grandson, half brother, interconnected, interrelated, kin, kindred, kinfolk, kinnery, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinsmen, kinswoman, kith and kin, linking, matchable, mother, much at one, near, near relation, nephew, next of kin, niece, parallel, parent, people, pertaining, pertinent, posterity, proportionable, proportional, proportionate, referable, referring, related, relating, relation, relational, relations, relative to, relatives, relevant, reliant, sib, sibling, similar, sister, son, spear kin, spear side, spindle kin, spindle side, subject to, subordinate to, sword side, sympathetic, tribesman, uncle, uterine kin

ROGET THESAURUS

Relative

Relation

N relation, bearing, reference, connection, concern, cognation, correlation, analogy, similarity, affinity, homology, alliance, homogeneity, association, approximation, filiation, interest, relevancy, dependency, relationship, relative position, comparison, ratio, proportion, link, tie, bond of union, relative, correlative, cognate, relating to, relative to, in relation with, referable or referrible to, belonging to, appurtenant to, in common with, related, connected, implicated, associated, affiliated, allied to, en rapport, in touch with, approximative, approximating, proportional, proportionate, proportionable, allusive, comparable, in the same category, like, relevant, applicable, equiparant, relatively, pertinently, thereof, as to, as for, as respects, as regards, about, concerning, anent, relating to, as relates to, with relation, with reference to, with respect to, with regard to, in respect of, while speaking of, a propos of, in connection with, by the way, by the by, whereas, for as much as, in as much as, in point of, as far as, on the part of, on the score of, quoad hoc, pro re nata, under the head of, of, in the matter of, in re, thereby hangs a tale.

Consanguinity

N consanguinity, relationship, kindred, blood, parentage, filiation, affiliation, lineage, agnation, connection, alliance, family connection, family tie, ties of blood, nepotism, kinsman, kinfolk, kith and kin, relation, relative, connection, sibling, sib, next of kin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, cousin- german, first cousin, second cousin, cousin once removed, cousin twice removed, ear relation, distant relation, brother, sister, one's own flesh and blood, family, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, cousinhood, race, stock, generation, sept, stirps, side, strain, breed, clan, tribe, nation, related, akin, consanguineous, of the blood, family, allied, collateral, cognate, agnate, connate, kindred, affiliated, fraternal, intimately related, nearly related, closely related, remotely related, distantly related, allied, german.