relative

Definition of Relative

(noun) An individual’s relationship to another individual or group through blood (consanguinity), marriage (affinity), or adoption, or fictive ties.

Example of Relative

• A father is a relative of his nephew, son, uncle, and wife.
  

Types of Relative

• agnate
• ancestor
• aunt
• brother
• daughter
• descendant
• cognate
• consanguine
• cousin
• cross-cousin
• father
• grandfather
• grandmother
• grandparent
• husband
• mother
• nephew
• niece
• parallel-cousin
• parent
• sibling
• sister
• son
• uncle
• wife

Relative Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: rel·a·tive

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˈrɛlədɪv/
• British English – /ˈrɛlətɪv/

Usage Notes

• Plural: relatives
• The terms relative and kin (short for kinship) are interchangeable.
• Descendants are relatives of a common ancestor.
• Also called relation.
• When my father married my mother, he (verb) relativized with her family and is (adverb) relatively (adjective) related to his new (noun) relatives and they share a (noun) relationship and (noun) relativity.

Additional Information

• Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
• Word origin of “relative” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• clan
• descendant
• descent group
• endogamy
• exogamy
• generation
• extended family
• kinship
• lineage

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Cite the Definition of Relative

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “relative.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/relative/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

relative. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/relative/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “relative.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/relative/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“relative.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/relative/>.