All 6 Uses of

relative
in
A Thousand Acres

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

relatively = in comparison to something else

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 *

She thinks I'm without living relatives.†
p. 337.9 *

relatives = people related by blood or marriage

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

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

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)
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."
(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.