relation
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the way in which two or more things are connected or affect each other.
the manner in which two or more entities are associated or connected. Often used to describe a logical or causal link.
Simple“The study looked at the relation between diet and heart health.”
In context“Researchers are investigating the direct relation between rising global temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events in the region.”
SynonymsAntonymsdisconnection - 02 B1 Intermediate
a person who is part of your family.
a member of one's extended family; a relative. Often used in formal contexts or when discussing genealogy.
Simple“Is he a distant relation of yours, or just a family friend?”
In context“She discovered several distant relations living in Canada after researching her family tree at the local archives.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the way that people, groups, or countries behave toward each other.
the manner in which and tone with which people, organisations, or states interact. Frequently used in the plural.
Simple“The two countries are working hard to improve their diplomatic relations.”
In context“The company's public relations department issued a statement to address the concerns raised by the local community regarding the new factory.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
the act of telling a story or describing a series of events.
the act of relating or narrating a story or account. This sense is more common in formal or literary writing.
Simple“His relation of the events was very different from what we saw on the news.”
In context“The witness's detailed relation of the accident provided the jury with a clear timeline of the evening's events.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
a set of pairs or groups of numbers that have a specific connection.
a set of ordered tuples; in database theory, a table representing a set of tuples.
Simple“In this math problem, we need to find the relation between x and y.”
In context“The database administrator defined a new relation to link customer IDs with their specific purchase histories across multiple platforms.”
Usage bear relation · causal relation · direct relation
From Middle English relacion, relacioun, from Anglo-Norman relacioun and Old French relacion (whence French relation), from Latin relātiō, noun of process form from perfect passive participle relātus (“related”), from verb referō (“to refer, to relate”), from prefix re- (“again”) + ferō (“to bear, to carry”). By surface analysis, relate + -ion. Doublet of relazione.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.