2 meanings, 6 uses
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1 —2 uses as in:
the relative importance
Definition
compared with something else (not an absolute value or not complete)
- The suit, Jean felt, was relatively clear-cut, especially in light of the fact that the harvest had been successful, and had looked right, too.p. 319.1
- I remember how automatically I thought of him as a younger man, somehow relatively unformed, and that gave me a kind of ease with him that I don't often feel with strange men.p. 50.7
There are no more uses of "relative" flagged with this meaning in A Thousand Acres.
Typical Usage
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2 —1 use as in:
they are relatives
Definition
connected
in 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."
- She thinks I'm without living relatives."p. 337.9
There are no more uses of "relative" flagged with this meaning in A Thousand Acres.
Typical Usage
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? —3 uses
exact meaning not specified
- He must have estimated our relative worth, because he then addressed Pete and me once for every three times he addressed Ty and Rose.p. 281.8
- If he had come from around here, if his father had farmed and he had inherited his father's farm, his relative flamboyance, like his musical talent, would have been something for the neighbors to be a little proud of, evidence of native genius rather than suspect strangeness.p. 113.4
- Well, everybody here has got some relative in there.p. 215.1
There are no more uses of "relative" in A Thousand Acres.
Typical Usage
(best examples)