relationship

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re·la·tion·ship

(rĭ-lā′shən-shĭp′)

1. The condition or fact of being related; connection or association.

2. Connection by blood or marriage; kinship.

3. A particular type of connection existing between people related to or having dealings with each other: has a close relationship with his siblings.

4. A romantic or sexual involvement.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

relationship

(rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp)

1. the state of being connected or related

2. association by blood or marriage; kinship

3. the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc: a business relationship.

4. an emotional or sexual affair or liaison

5. logic maths another name for relation¹⁰

6. (Mathematics) logic maths another name for relation¹⁰

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

re•la•tion•ship

(rɪˈleɪ ʃənˌʃɪp)

n.

1. a connection, association, or involvement.

2. connection between persons by blood or marriage; kinship.

3. an emotional or other connection between people.

4. a romantic or sexual involvement.

[1735–45]

Relationship

See also children; father; mother; parents; wife.

affinity

the condition of close relationship. Cf. consanguinity. See also marriage.

agnate

a relation through descent on the male side. Cf. cognate. — agnate, agnatic, adj.

agnation

relationship through male descent. Cf. cognation.

amity

friendship or harmony between individuals or groups. Also called comity.

cognate

a relation through descent on the female side. Cf. agnate. — cognate, — cognatic, adj.

cognation

relationship through female descent. Cf. agnation. — cognate, adj.

comity

amity.

congener

a thing or person of the same kind as another.

consanguinity

blood relationship. Cf. affinity.

cousinry

cousins collectively or as a group or class.

enation

the maternal relationship.

epigone

an heir, descendant, or successor, frequently an inferior successor.

filiation

1. the f act or condition of being a son or daughter.
2. the relation of child to parent, especially father.

kinship

family relationship or other close tie or relationship.

lineage

line of descent from an ancestor or ancestors; family or ancestry.

matriliny

descent through the female line, as in ancestry, inheritance, etc. — matrilineal, matrilinear, adj.

patriliny

relationship or descent through the male line, as in ancestry, inheritance, etc. — patrilineal, patrilinear, adj.

synomosy

Ancient Greece. fellowship or brotherhood bound by solemn oath.

relation

– relative – relationship

These words are used to refer to people or to connections between people.

1. 'relation' and 'relative'

Your relations or relatives are the members of your family.

I said that I was a relation of her first husband.

I'm going to visit some relatives.

The relations between people or groups are the contacts between them and the way they behave towards each other.

Relations between the two men had not improved.

Britain has close relations with the US.

2. 'relationship'

You can talk in a similar way about the relationship between two people or groups.

The old relationship between the friends was quickly re-established.

Senor Zapatero has shown that he is keen to have a close relationship with Britain.

A relationship is also a close friendship between two people, especially one involving sexual or romantic feelings.

When the relationship ended two months ago, he was very upset.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	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); "the relationship between mothers and their children" human relationship relation - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together partnership - a cooperative relationship between people or groups who agree to share responsibility for achieving some specific goal; "effective language learning is a partnership between school, teacher and student"; "the action teams worked in partnership with the government" personal relation, personal relationship - a relation between persons
	2.	relationship - a state of connectedness between people (especially an emotional connection); "he didn't want his wife to know of the relationship" state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" anaclisis - (psychoanalysis) relationship marked by strong dependence on others; especially a libidinal attachment to e.g. a parental figure love affair, romance - a relationship between two lovers sexual relationship - a relationship involving sexual intimacy
	3.	relationship - a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" business relationship, account - a formal contractual relationship established to provide for regular banking or brokerage or business services; "he asked to see the executive who handled his account" acquaintanceship, acquaintance - a relationship less intimate than friendship affiliation, tie-up, tie, association - a social or business relationship; "a valuable financial affiliation"; "he was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team"; "many close associations with England" assimilation - the state of being assimilated; people of different backgrounds come to see themselves as part of a larger national family friendly relationship, friendship - the state of being friends (or friendly) membership - the state of being a member subjection, subjugation - forced submission to control by others
	4.	relationship - (anthropology) relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption family relationship, kinship relation - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together anthropology - the social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings phylogenetic relation, affinity - (biology) state of relationship between organisms or groups of organisms resulting in resemblance in structure or structural parts; "in anatomical structure prehistoric man shows close affinity with modern humans" filiation, line of descent, lineage, descent - the kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors affinity - (anthropology) kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship blood kinship, consanguinity, cognation - (anthropology) related by blood parentage, birth - the kinship relation of an offspring to the parents fatherhood, paternity - the kinship relation between an offspring and the father motherhood, maternity - the kinship relation between an offspring and the mother sisterhood, sistership - the kinship relation between a female offspring and the siblings brotherhood - the kinship relation between a male offspring and the siblings marital bed, marital relationship - the relationship between wife and husband

relationship

noun

1. association, bond, communications, connection, conjunction, affinity, rapport, kinship Money problems place great stress on close family relationships.

2. affair, romance, fling, liaison, amour, intrigue She likes to have a relationship with her leading men.

3. connection, link, proportion, parallel, ratio, similarity, tie-up, correlation the relationship between culture and power

Quotations
"A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly more forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark" [Woody Allen Annie Hall]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

relationship

noun

A logical or natural association between two or more things:

connection, correlation, interconnection, interdependence, interrelationship, link, linkage, relation, tie-in.

Informal: hookup.

Translations

عَلاقَةعُلاقَهعُلاقَه، صِلَهقَرابَه

vztahpříbuznostsouvislostspojitost

forholdforbindelse

Beziehung Verwandtschaft Beziehungskiste Bezug Bindung

σχέση συγγένεια

relación parentesco

suhde

relation rapport abord parenté

odnos

kapcsolat

sambandskyldleiki; tengdirtengsl

rapporto parentela relazione

関係

관계

relatie

forhold slektskap

stosunek związek pokrewieństwopowiązanierelacja

relacionamento relação

отношение свойство

spojitosť

povezavarazmerjesorodstvo

förhållande

ความสัมพันธ์

ilişkiakrabalıkalâkabağ ilgi

mối quan hệ

亲属关系关系关联友谊关系联系

relationship

[rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp] N

1. (between persons, gen) → relación f; (sexual) → relación f, relaciones fpl
the mother-child relationship → la relación madre-hijo
our relationship lasted five years → nuestras relaciones continuaron durante cinco años
they have a beautiful relationship (US) → tienen una relación de amistad muy bonita
a business relationship → una relación comercial
to have a relationship with sb (gen) → tener relación con algn; (sexual) → tener relaciones or una relación con algn
see also love-hate

2. (between things) → relación f
the relationship of A to B; the relationship between A and B → la relación entre A y B
to see a relationship between two events → ver una relación entre dos sucesos

3. (between countries) → relación f
Britain's special relationship with the USA → la especial relación entre Gran Bretaña y EE. UU.

4. (= kinship) → parentesco m
what is your relationship to the prisoner? → ¿qué parentesco hay entre usted y el acusado?

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

relationship

[rɪˈleɪʃ^ənʃɪp] n

(= connection) → lien m
the relationship between sth and sth → le lien entre qch et qch
a relationship between diet and cancer → un lien entre régime alimentaire et cancer
What is the relationship between language and thought? → Quel est le lien entre langage et pensée?
There is no relationship between the two events → Il n'y a aucun lien entre les deux événements.

(= personal connection) → relations fpl
We have a good relationship
BUT Nous nous entendons bien. → Nous avons de bonnes relations.
a working relationship (between colleagues) → des relations de travail
He and his boss have always had a good working relationship → Lui et son patron ont toujours eu de bonnes relations de travail.
Our working relationship had become strained → Nos relations de travail étaient devenues tendues.
sb's relationship with sb → les relations de qn avec qn

(= family tie) → lien m de parenté
sb's relationship to sb → le lien de parenté de qn avec qn
What is your relationship to the patient? → Quel est votre lien de parenté avec le patient?

(= love affair) → relation f
to have a relationship with sb → avoir une relation avec qn
She had had a relationship with a married man → Elle avait eu une relation avec un homme marié.
to be in a relationship
I'm not in a relationship at the moment → Je ne sors avec personne en ce moment.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

relationship

(in family) → Verwandtschaft f → (to mit); what is your relationship (to or with him)? → wie sind Sie (mit ihm) verwandt?

(= connection: between events etc) → Beziehung f, → Verbindung f; (= relations) → Verhältnis nt, → Beziehungen pl; (in business) → Verbindung f; to have a (sexual) relationship with somebody → ein Verhältnis nt → mit jdm haben; what kind of a relationship do you have with him? (is it good or bad?) → wie ist Ihr Verhältnis zu ihm?; (on what footing?) → in welchem Verhältnis stehen Sie zu ihm?; to have a good relationship with somebody → ein gutes Verhältnis or gute Beziehungen zu jdm haben; they have a good relationship → sie haben ein gutes Verhältnis (zueinander); we have a business relationship → wir haben geschäftlich miteinander zu tun; it is a strictly business relationship → es ist eine rein geschäftliche Beziehung

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

relationship

[rɪˈleɪʃ/ənʃɪp] n

a. (family ties) → legami mpl di parentela

b. (connection, between two things) → rapporto, nesso; (with sb) → rapporti mpl
to see a relationship between → vedere un nesso fra
to have a relationship with sb (sexual) → avere una relazione con qn
they have a good relationship → vanno molto d'accordo

relate

(rəˈleit) verb

1. to tell (a story etc). He related all that had happened to him.

2. (with to) to be about, concerned or connected with. Have you any information relating to the effect of penicillin on mice?

3. (with to) to behave towards. He finds it difficult to relate normally to his mother.

reˈlated adjective

1. belonging to the same family (as). I'm related to the Prime Minister; The Prime Minister and I are related.

2. connected. other related topics.

reˈlation noun

1. a person who belongs to the same family as oneself either by birth or because of marriage. uncles, aunts, cousins and other relations.

2. a relationship (between facts, events etc).

3. (in plural) contact and communications between people, countries etc. to establish friendly relations.

reˈlationship noun

1. the friendship, contact, communications etc which exist between people. He finds it very difficult to form lasting relationships.

2. the fact that, or the way in which, facts, events etc are connected. Is there any relationship between crime and poverty?

3. the state of being related by birth or because of marriage.

relative (ˈrelətiv) noun

a member of one's family; a relation. All his relatives attended the funeral.

adjective

1. compared with something else, or with each other, or with a situation in the past etc. the relative speeds of a car and a train; She used to be rich but now lives in relative poverty.

2. (of a pronoun, adjective or clause) referring back to something previously mentioned. the girl who sang the song; the girl who sang the song.

relatively (ˈrelətivli) adverb

when compared to someone or something else. He seems relatively happy now; This is a fairly unimportant problem, relatively speaking.

relationship

→ عَلاقَة vztah forhold Beziehung σχέση relación suhde relation odnos rapporto 関係 관계 relatie forhold stosunek relação, relacionamento отношение förhållande ความสัมพันธ์ ilişki mối quan hệ 关系

re·la·tion·ship

n. relación; parentesco, lazo familiar.

Sorry, I'm in a relationship → Promiň, jsem zadaný → Beklager, jeg har en kæreste → Λυπάμαι, έχω σχέση → Lo siento, tengo pareja → Žao mi je, ja sam u vezi → Mi spiace, ho già una relazione → Sorry, ik heb al een relatie → Przykro mi, ale jestem w związku → Desculpe, eu sou comprometido → Kusura bakmayın, bir ilişkim var → 对不起，我已经有对象了

relationship

n relación f doctor-patient — relación médico-paciente

References in classic literature ?

15', on these wretched gravel plains, with their stunted vegetation; but the relationship of the Macrauchenia to the Guanaco, now an inhabitant of the most sterile parts, partly explains this difficulty.

View in context

Nietzsche, the supposed anarchist, here plainly disclaims all relationship whatever to anarchy, for he shows us that only by bearing the burdens of the existing law and submitting to it patiently, as the camel submits to being laden, does the free spirit acquire that ascendancy over tradition which enables him to meet and master the dragon "Thou shalt,"--the dragon with the values of a thousand years glittering on its scales.

View in context

He warmly accepted the invitation, and at once they became not only on terms of affectionate relationship, but almost like old friends.

View in context

The neglect had been visited on the head of the sinner; for when poor Lady Elliot died herself, no letter of condolence was received at Kellynch, and, consequently, there was but too much reason to apprehend that the Dalrymples considered the relationship as closed.

View in context

You can't change the relationship,' returned the other.

View in context

To explain the conditions of that relationship we must first establish a conception of the expression of will, referring it to man and not to the Deity.

View in context

Our poor place of abode, our humble calling, our assumed relationship, and our assumed name, are all used alike as a means of hiding us in the house-forest of London.

View in context

In South America, a similar relationship is manifest, even to an uneducated eye, in the gigantic pieces of armour like those of the armadillo, found in several parts of La Plata; and Professor Owen has shown in the most striking manner that most of the fossil mammals, buried there in such numbers, are related to South American types.

View in context

The boy, small and rather delicate in appearance seemed somewhat embarrassed at being called "father" by the tall, awkward, pumpkinheaded man, but to deny the relationship would involve another long and tedious explanation; so he changed the subject by asking, abruptly:

View in context

The accident being the relationship of my wife's cousin to a certain Father Superior in a very ancient monastery in Europe.

View in context

"If the world disapproves, I don't care," said Vronsky; "but if my relations want to be on terms of relationship with me, they will have to be on the same terms with my wife."

View in context

I had two sisters and one brother, that lived in the same house with me; but the early separation of us from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact of our relationship from our memories.