# relative

/ˈɹɛɫətɪv/ (US) · /ɹˈɛlətˌɪv/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. family member

noun · CEFR A2

a person who is part of your family by blood, marriage, or adoption.

For teachers: a person connected by kinship, whether through consanguinity, affinity, or legal adoption.

- Most of my relatives live in the same city, so we see each other often.
- The solicitor spent several months attempting to locate any surviving relatives who might have a legal claim to the estate.

### 2. comparative

adjective · CEFR B2

considered in relation to something else rather than on its own.

For teachers: existing or possessing a characteristic only in comparison to something else; not absolute.

- The price of the car was a relative bargain compared to the newer models.
- The success of the regional branch is relative to the economic conditions of the surrounding area rather than just the manager's performance.

### 3. grammar

adjective · CEFR B2 · Technical

describing a word (like 'who' or 'which') that refers back to a person or thing mentioned before.

For teachers: referring to an antecedent; specifically used to describe pronouns or clauses that link back to a noun phrase.

- In the sentence 'The man who called you', the word 'who' is a relative pronoun.
- Students often struggle with the distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses in formal academic writing.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrases 'relative pronoun' or 'relative clause'.

### 4. music

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

having the same set of notes but starting on a different one (major and minor).

For teachers: denoting a major and minor key that share the same key signature.

- A minor is the relative minor of C major because they use the same notes.
- The composer transitions smoothly from the primary theme in G major to its relative minor, E minor, to create a more somber atmosphere.

## Examples

- I am visiting my relatives for the holidays.
- During the summer wedding, many distant relatives traveled from across the country to celebrate together.
- The lawyer spent months searching for any surviving relatives who might have a legal claim to the deceased man's estate.

---

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.