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relative

n. · adj.
US //ˈɹɛɫətɪv// UK //ɹˈɛlətˌɪv// rel·a·tive
  1. 1 family member (n.)
    A2 Elementary

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

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

    Example

    Most of my relatives live in the same city, so we see each other often.

    Example

    The solicitor spent several months attempting to locate any surviving relatives who might have a legal claim to the estate.
  2. 2 comparative (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

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

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

    Example

    The price of the car was a relative bargain compared to the newer models.

    Example

    The success of the regional branch is relative to the economic conditions of the surrounding area rather than just the manager's performance.
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  1. 3 grammar (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

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

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

    Example

    In the sentence 'The man who called you', the word 'who' is a relative pronoun.

    Example

    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'.

  2. 4 music (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

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

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

    Example

    A minor is the relative minor of C major because they use the same notes.

    Example

    The composer transitions smoothly from the primary theme in G major to its relative minor, E minor, to create a more somber atmosphere.

Origin

From Middle French relatif, from Late Latin relātīvus, from Latin relātus, perfect passive participle of referō (“to carry back, to ascribe”), from re- (“again”) + ferō (“to bear or carry”). By surface analysis, relate + -ive.

Word family

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