Both Uses of
relative
in
The Grapes of Wrath
- Early comers moved over, and States were exchanged, and friends and sometimes relatives discovered.†
Chpt 17 *relatives = people related by blood or marriage
- The little farmers moved into town for a while and exhausted their credit, exhausted their friends, their relatives.†
Chpt 21
Definitions:
-
(1)
(relative as in: the relative importance) compared with something else (not an absolute value or not complete)
-
(2)
(relative as in: they are relatives) connectedin various senses, including:
- a person related by blood or marriage -- as in "The hospital won't let me visit her because I'm not a relative."
- a plant or animal related by origin or grouping -- "The closest relative of the dog is the gray wolf."
-
(3)
(relative as in: questions relative to the topic) related to
-
(4)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More specialized and less common senses of the word are found in philosophy, grammar, and music. Consult a comprehensive dictionary if you wish to see those. All senses have to do with relationships.