Definition of "relative" in English

adjective

1. Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.

   • For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.

2. (computing, of a URL, URI, path, or similar) Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.

   • The relative URL /images/pic.jpg, when evaluated in the context of http://example.com/index.html, corresponds to the absolute URL http://example.com/images/pic.jpg.

3. (grammar) Depending on an antecedent; comparative.

   • The words “big” and “small” are relative.

4. (music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.

5. (archaic or rare) Relevant; pertinent; related.

   • relative to your earlier point about taxes, ...

6. Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.

adverb

1. (US) Alternative form of relatively.

noun

1. Someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption; someone in the same family.

2. (figurative) Something kindred or related to something else.

3. (linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.