# relation

/ɹiˈɫeɪʃən/ (US) · /ɹɪlˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/relation
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. connection between things

noun · CEFR B1

the way in which two or more things are connected or affect each other.

For teachers: the manner in which two or more entities are associated or connected. Often used to describe a logical or causal link.

- The study looked at the relation between diet and heart health.
- Researchers are investigating the direct relation between rising global temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events in the region.

### 2. family member

noun · CEFR B1

a person who is part of your family.

For teachers: a member of one's extended family; a relative. Often used in formal contexts or when discussing genealogy.

- Is he a distant relation of yours, or just a family friend?
- She discovered several distant relations living in Canada after researching her family tree at the local archives.

### 3. social or political interaction

noun · CEFR B2

the way that people, groups, or countries behave toward each other.

For teachers: the manner in which and tone with which people, organisations, or states interact. Frequently used in the plural.

- The two countries are working hard to improve their diplomatic relations.
- The company's public relations department issued a statement to address the concerns raised by the local community regarding the new factory.

### 4. telling a story

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

the act of telling a story or describing a series of events.

For teachers: the act of relating or narrating a story or account. This sense is more common in formal or literary writing.

- His relation of the events was very different from what we saw on the news.
- The witness's detailed relation of the accident provided the jury with a clear timeline of the evening's events.

### 5. mathematical/data set

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a set of pairs or groups of numbers that have a specific connection.

For teachers: a set of ordered tuples; in database theory, a table representing a set of tuples.

- In this math problem, we need to find the relation between x and y.
- The database administrator defined a new relation to link customer IDs with their specific purchase histories across multiple platforms.

## Examples

- The relation between diet and health is very strong.
- Scientists are studying the relation between rising sea temperatures and the frequency of severe storms in the Atlantic.
- The diplomat worked tirelessly to improve the relation between the two neighboring countries, focusing on shared economic goals rather than historical grievances.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.