26984 words

relatives

10 definitions • 19 examples
1
a member of your family:

Examples:

blood relative I don't have many blood relatives (= people related to me by birth rather than by marriage).
close/distant relative All her close/distant relatives came to the wedding.
2
being judged or measured in comparison with something else:

Examples:

We weighed up the relative advantages of driving there or going by train.
3
true to a particular degree when compared with other things:

Examples:

Since I got a job, I've been living in relative comfort (= more comfort than before).
4
A relative key or scale (= set of notes based on a particular note) has the same key signature (= set of sharps and flats) as another key or scale, usually because one is major and the other is minor, so they share the same notes:

Examples:

The andante movement in the relative major is quietly serene.
The penultimate movement is in the relative key of C major.
5
If something is relative to something else, it changes according to the speed or level of the other thing:

Examples:

The amount of petrol a car uses is relative to its speed.
6
If something is relative to a particular subject, it is connected with it:

Examples:

Are these documents relative to the discussion?
7
as judged or measured in comparison with something else:

Examples:

We considered the relative merits of flying to Washington or taking the train.
Relative to (= Considering) birthweight, the newborns were doing well.
8
a member of your family:

Examples:

All her relatives came to the wedding.
9
having a particular characteristic or value compared to other things of a similar type:

Examples:

The Chancellor of the Exchequer talked about the UK's relative growth performance compared with "core" Europe.
relative cost/price International borrowers have seen the relative cost of their loans rise slightly in the past six months.
10
compared to something else:

Examples:

Official figures probably understate Europe's growth relative to America.
Pay in many white-collar jobs has been stagnating relative to inflation.
relative to earnings/income/sales Motoring costs are forecast to increase even further over the next ten years relative to income.

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