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relation

n.
US //ɹiˈɫeɪʃən// UK //ɹɪlˈeɪʃən// re·la·tion
  1. 1 connection between things (n.)
    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.

    Example

    The study looked at the relation between diet and heart health.

    Example

    Researchers are investigating the direct relation between rising global temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events in the region.
    • disconnection
  2. 2 family member (n.)
    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.

    Example

    Is he a distant relation of yours, or just a family friend?

    Example

    She discovered several distant relations living in Canada after researching her family tree at the local archives.
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  1. 3 social or political interaction (n.)
    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.

    Example

    The two countries are working hard to improve their diplomatic relations.

    Example

    The company's public relations department issued a statement to address the concerns raised by the local community regarding the new factory.
  2. 4 telling a story (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Literary

    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.

    Example

    His relation of the events was very different from what we saw on the news.

    Example

    The witness's detailed relation of the accident provided the jury with a clear timeline of the evening's events.
  3. 5 mathematical/data set (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    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.

    Example

    In this math problem, we need to find the relation between x and y.

    Example

    The database administrator defined a new relation to link customer IDs with their specific purchase histories across multiple platforms.
Origin

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.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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