relation

noun

ri-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce relation (audio)
Definition of relationnext
1
as in interaction
relations plural doings between individuals or groups relations between the rival newspapers remained friendly despite their competition for the same stories

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in relative
a person connected with another by blood or marriage he and I are relations on my mother's side

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3
as in relationship
the fact or state of having something in common there's no relation between you losing your favorite baseball hat and your team losing the game

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in partnership
the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters) our intramural baseball team had a relation with the other baseball teams in the area

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sex
relations plural sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis a law that prohibits relations between close relatives

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of relation The YouTube video the Fever posted concluded with Boston’s answer and completely cut off the exchange between the reporter and the public relations staffer. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 As head of communications and marketing, Chris will oversee all aspects of Element Pictures’ external relations, including festival activity, awards campaigning and social channels. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 31 July 2026 Messaging, tone, customer experience, media relations and executive visibility were the core levers of reputation. — Hope Frank, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Wood’s appointment as the CSU’s presidential advisor for tribal relations puts him in a systemwide leadership role as the university seeks to move beyond legal compliance and build stronger partnerships with tribal nations. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for relation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relation
  1. interaction
  2. relative
  3. relationship
  4. partnership
  5. intercourse
  6. cousin
  7. kinship
  8. association
Noun
  • More news The WNBA fined and suspended Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton after an interaction with two teenage fans supporting the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham.
    — Torrey Hart, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • And that sort of personal progress and mission led to Hwang’s first interaction with adaptive athletics.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of interaction
Noun
  • The island now houses the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, where visitors can search digital images of ship manifests for the immigration records of their relatives.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Gorelov, his wife and their two children plan to spend the night with relatives in Spokane.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of relative
Noun
  • Along the way, cast members sit for personal fate readings and open up about relationships and losses in their own lives, then move into direct contact with shamanic ritual, a practice the format positions as central to Korean spiritual life.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
  • Patrick Steinfeld, an attorney for the family, declined to answer questions about what Hernandez’s parents knew about their daughter’s relationship to the singer.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of relationship
Noun
  • The initiative began in 2016 as a way to honor and build awareness for African, African American and Caribbean cuisine with partnerships, culinary events and marketing campaigns intended to highlight small, local food and beverage businesses.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Italy has also pointed to Ceuta to push forward a controversial plan, forged in Italy's partnership with Albania, to move migrant screenings outside of the EU.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of partnership
Noun
  • After intercourse, the teenager had snapped photos of her naked body on a futon as evidence.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026
  • The two counts of rape Høiby was convicted of did not involve intercourse.
    — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Definition of intercourse
Noun
  • Following his cousins’ success, Monasterios — along with his parents and brother — filed a case in 2018.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps your cousin is having a tropical destination wedding, or your childhood best friend is tying the knot on a stylish country estate.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of cousin
Noun
  • Her promise expresses, in some way, her kinship with her unmarried aunt, who didn’t trade her own freedom for a set of good knives.
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The essays in the book, which focus on beekeeping and other forms of animal husbandry, invite us to explore creaturely worlds beyond our own, and to recognize our kinship with other living beings.
    — Richard Schiffman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026
Definition of kinship
Noun
  • As with its predecessor, the new act is designed to expand access to federal financing tools to help condominium owners and associations afford essential structural repairs and special assessments.
    — Christyne D. Santisteban, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Ahead of this year’s World Cup, ADI PredictStreet signed a multi‑year agreement with the association to become the tournament’s first official prediction market partner.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Definition of association

Browse Nearby Words

relating (to)
relation
relations
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Cite this Entry

“Relation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relation. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on relation

Nglish: Translation of relation for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about relation

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