1
: of or relating to kinship
2
: characterized or constituted by relations
3
: having the function chiefly of indicating a relation of syntax
has is notional in he has luck, relational in he has gone
4
: relating to, using, or being a method of organizing data in a database so that it is perceived by the user as a set of tables
relationally adverb

Examples of relational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Organizations are failing to equip managers with crucial strategic and relational skills, instead focusing on technical AI training for tasks AI will soon automate. Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 However, these little relational tests are happening alongside the eclipses. Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026 Through her, the novels gain analytical intelligence, relational depth, and a stronger sense of what is at stake beyond the immediate operation. Matt Emma, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Women, with their tender relational instincts, became seen as the custodians of the institution’s most precious and elevated forms. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for relational

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of relational was in 1662

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Cite this Entry

“Relational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relational. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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