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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Federal law dictates foreign policy and diplomatic relations, protecting heads of state from being arrested by local officials such as Mamdani. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2026 No formal investigation will be opened, the IOC said, because the complaint by the rights group FairSquare did not relate to FIFA’s or Infantino’s specific relations with the Olympic body. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026 In an email to PEOPLE, the Lancashire Constabulary, which serves Blackpool, said police were not called in relation to the incident. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 No formal investigation will be opened, the IOC said, because the complaint by rights group FairSquare did not relate to FIFA’s or Infantino’s specific relations with the Olympic body. — ABC News, 24 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
  • TouchLab unveiled electronic skin, giving robots a crucial sense of touch for delicate handling and safe interaction.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
  • But the researchers also suggest that the approach would be useful more generally for fine-tuning protein-DNA interactions, which could have applications far beyond gene editing.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of interaction
Noun
  • Two of the suspect’s relatives were found dead inside his home, cops said.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • Other qualifying relatives will generally need to live with you for more than half the year.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 July 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
  • On the property, though, Arlo Williamsburg offers a gym for its guests, and features on-demand fitness videos in partnership with Alo Moves (the online fitness arm of Alo Yoga).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Éléonore Caroit, France’s minister for international partnerships, urged tourists not to cancel their holiday plans and emphasized that most of the country remains untouched.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 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
  • Goodrich, 55, killed both Williams and her cousin, Charles Martin, 45, and in 2024 was sentenced to 66 years in prison.
    — Eric Adler July 28, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • Ormund makes insinuations that his cousin is gay, which makes Ormund at once the most outwardly homophobic and sexist character in the show presently.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of cousin
Noun
  • 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
  • Carlisle and Childers also found a kinship in their studies of Eastern Religion, an exploration that is deeply threaded through the journey of Snipe Hunter.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 15 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 31 Jul. 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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