Illustration of relief
- relief 6b
1
: a payment made by a male feudal tenant to his lord on succeeding to an inherited estate
2
a
: removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing
b
c
: military assistance to an endangered post or force
d
: means of breaking or avoiding monotony or boredom : diversion
3
: release from a post or from the performance of duty
4
: one that takes the place of another on duty
5
: legal remedy or redress
6
[French, from Middle French, from Italian rilievo relievo]
a
: a mode of sculpture in which forms and figures are distinguished from a surrounding plane surface
b
: sculpture or a sculptural form executed in this mode
c
: projecting detail, ornament, or figures
7
a
: sharpness of outline due to contrast
a roof in bold relief against the sky
b
: the state of being distinguished by contrast
throws the two opinions into bold relief
8
: the elevations or inequalities of a land surface
9
: the pitching done by a relief pitcher
two innings of hitless relief
1
: providing relief
2
: characterized by surface inequalities
3
: of or used in letterpress
Examples of relief in a Sentence
Noun
I felt such a sense of relief after I finished my thesis.
He expressed relief that the crisis was finally over.
Much to everyone's relief, the airplane took off without any problems.
What a relief it is to be back home.
Exercise is an excellent source of stress relief.
Both candidates promised tax relief for middle-class families.
Countries from around the world have been sending relief to the flood victims.
We donated to the relief effort for the hurricane victims.
My father lost his job and we had to go on relief.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
Those seeking relief from deportation, including asylum, do so at an individual merits hearing.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
Connor Greene, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Court has previously rejected requests to hear other cases where anti-relief plaintiffs had been dismissed by lower courts.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for relief
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Fennell and Sandgren’s compositions are frequently awe-inspiring, from a sequence that sees Cathy sweeping across the moors in her wedding dress to the eventual foggy reunion between the lovers that slowly pulls Elordi into relief while a searching Cathy searches for clarity.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
Those seeking relief from deportation, including asylum, do so at an individual merits hearing.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Several shops have morphed into quasi-relief sites, providing aid to city residents and people protesting the crackdown in addition to their regular trade.
—Connor Greene, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
The Supreme Court has previously rejected requests to hear other cases where anti-relief plaintiffs had been dismissed by lower courts.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for relief
Cite this Entry
“Relief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relief. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
relief
noun
re·lief
ri-ˈlēf 
: removal or lightening of something oppressive or distressing
relief of pain
symptomatic relief
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