relation
Other forms: relations
Relation is a word that can describe a connection — between relatives or any two entities. You might consider your cousin as your relation, and you might have strained relations with him over your grandmother's estate.
The way that one thing affects another is their relation like the relation between childhood poverty and poor nutrition, for example. You can also call your relative a relation, as when you describe your great-grandfather as your oldest living relation. The phrase no relation means that even though two people share the same last name, they are not related — or aren't relations.
Definitions of relation
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an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together
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types:
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possession
anything owned or possessed
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social relation
a relation between living organisms (especially between people)
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position, spatial relation
the spatial property of a place where or way in which something is situated
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ownership
the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others
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causality
the relation between causes and effects
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human relationship, relationship
a relation between people; (`relationship' is often used where `relation' would serve, as in `the relationship between inflation and unemployment', but the preferred usage of `relationship' is for human relations or states of relatedness)
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function
a relation such that one thing is dependent on another
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association
a relation resulting from interaction or dependence
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logical relation
a relation between propositions
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mathematical relation
a relation between mathematical expressions (such as equality or inequality)
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foundation
the basis on which something is grounded
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connectedness, connection, connexion
a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
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unconnectedness
the lack of a connection between things
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linguistic relation
a relation between linguistic forms or constituents
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component, component part, constituent, moiety, part, portion
something determined in relation to something that includes it
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affinity, kinship
a close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character
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family relationship, kinship, relationship
(anthropology) relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption
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magnitude relation, quantitative relation
a relation between magnitudes
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control
a relation of constraint of one entity (thing or person or group) by another
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business relation
a relation between different business enterprises
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reciprocality, reciprocity
a relation of mutual dependence or action or influence
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interrelatedness, interrelation, interrelationship
mutual or reciprocal relation or relatedness
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temporal relation
a relation involving time
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comparison
relation based on similarities and differences
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oppositeness, opposition
the relation between opposed entities
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change
a relational difference between states; especially between states before and after some event
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substance
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
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occlusion
(dentistry) the normal spatial relation of the teeth when the jaws are closed
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inclination, lean, leaning, list, tilt
the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
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gradient, slope
the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the horizontal
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arrangement, placement
the spatial property of the way in which something is placed
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point of view
the spatial property of the position from which something is observed
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coincidence
the quality of occupying the same position or area in space
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dead center, dead centre
the position of a crank when it is in line with the connecting rod and not exerting torque
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centrality
the property of being central
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marginality
the property of being marginal or on the fringes
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anteriority
the quality of being in front or (in lower animals) toward the head
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posteriority
the quality of being toward the back or toward the rear end
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exteriority, externality, outwardness
the quality or state of being outside or directed toward or relating to the outside or exterior
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interiority, inwardness
the quality or state of being inward or internal
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malposition, misplacement
faulty position
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northernness
the property of being to the north
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southernness
the property of being to the south
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horizontality
the quality of being parallel to the horizon
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erectness, uprightness, verticality, verticalness
position at right angles to the horizon
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language unit, linguistic unit
one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed
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slot
a position in a grammatical linguistic construction in which a variety of alternative units are interchangeable
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item, point
a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
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butt
the part of a plant from which the roots spring or the part of a stalk or trunk nearest the roots
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community
common ownership
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severalty
exclusive individual ownership
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property right
the legal right of ownership
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proprietary, proprietorship
an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits
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employee ownership
ownership of a business by the people who work for it
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belongings, holding, property
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
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landholding
ownership of land; the state or fact of owning land
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white elephant
a valuable possession whose upkeep is excessively expensive
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transferred possession, transferred property
a possession whose ownership changes or lapses
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circumstances
a person's financial situation (good or bad)
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assets
anything of material value or usefulness that is owned by a person or company
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stockholding
ownership of stocks; the state or fact of holding stock
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treasure
any possession that is highly valued by its owner
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liabilities
anything that is owed to someone else
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elbow room, room, way
space for movement
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dealings, relations
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
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partnership
a cooperative relationship between people or groups who agree to share responsibility for achieving some specific goal
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personal relation, personal relationship
a relation between persons
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contradictory
two propositions are contradictories if both cannot be true (or both cannot be false) at the same time
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contrary
a logical relation such that two propositions are contraries if both cannot be true but both can be false
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function, map, mapping, mathematical function, single-valued function
(mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
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parity
(mathematics) a relation between a pair of integers: if both integers are odd or both are even they have the same parity; if one is odd and the other is even they have different parity
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basis, footing, ground
a relation that provides the foundation for something
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grass roots
the essential foundation or source
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series
(electronics) connection of components in such a manner that current flows first through one and then through the other
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alliance, bond
a connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest
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linkage
an associative relation
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communication
a connection allowing access between persons or places
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concatenation
the linking together of a consecutive series of symbols or events or ideas etc
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bridge
something resembling a bridge in form or function
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involvement
a connection of inclusion or containment
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relevance, relevancy
the relation of something to the matter at hand
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relatedness
a particular manner of connectedness
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irrelevance, irrelevancy
the lack of a relation of something to the matter at hand
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unrelatedness
the lack of any particular manner of connectedness
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grammatical relation
a linguistic relation established by grammar
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transitivity
(logic and mathematics) a relation between three elements such that if it holds between the first and second and it also holds between the second and third it must necessarily hold between the first and third
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reflexiveness, reflexivity
(logic and mathematics) a relation such that it holds between an element and itself
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modality, mode
a classification of propositions on the basis of whether they claim necessity or possibility or impossibility
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semantic relation
a relation between meanings
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homonymy
the relation between two words that are spelled the same way but differ in meaning or the relation between two words that are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning
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base, basis
the most important or necessary part of something
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detail, item, particular
a small part that can be considered separately from the whole
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unit
an individual or group or structure or other entity regarded as a structural or functional constituent of a whole
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member
anything that belongs to a set or class
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balance, remainder, residual, residue, residuum, rest
something left after other parts have been taken away
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subpart
a part of a part
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rapport, resonance
a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people
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sympathy
a relation of affinity or harmony between people; whatever affects one correspondingly affects the other
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affinity, phylogenetic relation
(biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts
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descent, filiation, line of descent, lineage
the kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors
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affinity
(anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship
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blood kinship, cognation, consanguinity
(anthropology) related by blood
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birth, parentage
the kinship relation of an offspring to the parents
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fatherhood, paternity
the kinship relation between an offspring and the father
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maternity, motherhood
the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother
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sisterhood, sistership
the kinship relation between a female offspring and the siblings
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brotherhood
the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings
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marital bed, marital relationship
the relationship between wife and husband
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scale
relative magnitude
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proportion, ratio
the relation between things (or parts of things) with respect to their comparative quantity, magnitude, or degree
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ratio
the relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient)
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direction
the spatial relation between something and the course along which it points or moves
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angular position
relation by which any position with respect to any other position is established
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competition
a business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers
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clientage
relation of a client to a patron
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professional relation
the relation that exists when one person requests and is granted professional help from a qualified source
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political relation, politics
social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
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alchemy, chemistry, interpersonal chemistry
the way two individuals relate to each other
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complementarity
the interrelation of reciprocity whereby one thing supplements or depends on the other
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correlation, correlativity
a reciprocal relation between two or more things
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interdependence, interdependency, mutuality
a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)
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mutuality, mutualness
a reciprocality of sentiments
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reciprocal
something (a term or expression or concept) that has a reciprocal relation to something else
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psychodynamics
the interrelation of conscious and unconscious processes and emotions that determine personality and motivation
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antecedent, forerunner
anything that precedes something similar in time
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chronology
an arrangement of events in time
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synchroneity, synchronicity, synchronisation, synchronism, synchronization, synchronizing, synchrony
the relation that exists when things occur at the same time
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asynchronism, asynchrony, desynchronisation, desynchronization, desynchronizing
the relation that exists when things occur at unrelated times
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imaginative comparison
the kind of mental comparison that is expressed in similes or metaphors or allegories
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antipode
direct opposite
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antithesis
exact opposite
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conflict
opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)
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contrast, direct contrast
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
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flip side
a different aspect of something (especially the opposite aspect)
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mutual opposition, polarity
a relation between two opposite attributes or tendencies
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gradable opposition
an opposition that is capable of being graded
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polarity, sign
the state of having an indicated pole (as the distinction between positive and negative electric charges)
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ungradable opposition
an opposition that has no intermediate grade; either one or the other
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contradictoriness
the relation that exists when opposites cannot coexist
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contradiction
opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
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contrary
exact opposition
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contrariety
the relation between contraries
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tertium quid
some third thing similar to two opposites but distinct from both
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contrary, opposite, reverse
a relation of direct opposition
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inverse, opposite
something inverted in sequence or character or effect
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difference
a significant change
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gradient
a graded change in the magnitude of some physical quantity or dimension
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conditional relation, implication, logical implication
a logical relation between propositions p and q of the form `if p then q'; if p is true then q cannot be false
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antagonism
the relation between opposing principles or forces or factors
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rate
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
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dregs
the most worthless or undesirable part of something
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inequality
(mathematics) a relation indicating that two quantities are of unequal value
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type of:
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abstract entity, abstraction
a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
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a person related by blood or marriage“he has distant relations back in New Jersey”
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synonyms:
relative
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types:
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ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root
someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
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cousin, cousin-german, first cousin, full cousin
the child of your aunt or uncle
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descendant, descendent
a person considered as descended from some ancestor or race
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in-law, relative-in-law
a relative by marriage
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blood relation, blood relative, cognate, sib
one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another
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family, kin, kinsperson
a person having kinship with another or others
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enate, matrikin, matrilineal kin, matrilineal sib, matrisib
one related on the mother's side
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agnate, patrikin, patrilineal kin, patrilineal sib, patrisib
one related on the father's side
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kinsman
a male relative
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kinswoman
a female relative
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kissing cousin, kissing kin
a more or less distant relative; familiar enough to be greeted with a kiss
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next of kin
the person who is (or persons who are) most closely related to a given person
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issue, offspring, progeny
the immediate descendants of a person
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second cousin
a child of your parent's first cousin
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sib, sibling
a person's brother or sister
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better half, married person, mate, partner, spouse
a person's partner in marriage
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affine
(anthropology) kin by marriage
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ancestress
a woman ancestor
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aunt, auntie, aunty
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your mom's or dad's sibling
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baby
the youngest member of a group (not necessarily young)
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bastard, by-blow, illegitimate, illegitimate child, love child, whoreson
the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
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bigamist
someone who marries one person while already legally married to another
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brother-in-law
a brother by marriage
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child, kid
a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
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child
a member of a clan or tribe
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consort
the husband or wife of a reigning monarch
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daughter-in-law
the wife of your son
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father-in-law
the father of your spouse
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female sibling
a person's sister
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eldest, firstborn
the offspring who came first in the order of birth
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forbear, forebear
a person from whom you are descended
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father, forefather, sire
the founder of a family
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foremother
a woman ancestor
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primogenitor, progenitor
an ancestor in the direct line
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grandchild
a child of your son or daughter
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half blood
one of siblings who have only one parent in common
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helpmate, helpmeet
a helpful partner
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hubby, husband, married man
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
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male sibling
a sibling who is male
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monogamist, monogynist
someone who practices monogamy (one spouse at a time)
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mother-in-law
the mother of your spouse
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nephew
a son of your brother or sister
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honeymooner, newlywed
someone recently married
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niece
a daughter of your brother or sister
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polygamist
someone who is married to two or more people at the same time
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quad, quadruplet
one of four children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
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quin, quint, quintuplet
one of five children born at the same time from the same pregnancy
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scion
a descendent or heir
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sister-in-law
the sister of your spouse
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son-in-law
the husband of your daughter
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heir, successor
a person who inherits some title or office
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triplet
one of three offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
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twin
either of two offspring born at the same time from the same pregnancy
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uncle
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
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married woman, wife
a married woman; a partner in marriage
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an act of narration“he was the hero according to his own relation”
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synonyms:
recounting, telling
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the act of engaging in sexual intercourse
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types:
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defloration
the act of depriving a woman of her virginity (especially by rupturing the hymen through sexual intercourse)
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roll in the hay
slang for sexual intercourse
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hank panky
illicit sexual intercourse
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penetration
the act of inserting the penis into a partner's vagina or anus
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criminal congress
forbidden or tabu sexual intercourse between individuals
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extramarital sex, free love
sexual intercourse between individuals who are not married to one another
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incest
sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry (as between a parent and a child)
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type of:
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sex, sex activity, sexual activity, sexual practice
activities associated with sexual intercourse
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(usually plural) mutual dealings or connections among persons or groups
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(law) the principle that an act done at a later time is deemed by law to have occurred at an earlier time“his attorney argued for the relation back of the amended complaint to the time the initial complaint was filed”
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synonyms:
relation back
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type of:
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judicial doctrine, judicial principle, legal principle
(law) a principle underlying the formulation of jurisprudence
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judicial doctrine, judicial principle, legal principle
Pronunciation
US
/rɪˈleɪʃɪn/
UK
/rɪˈleɪʃən/
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