Both Uses of
relative
in
The Phantom Tollbooth
- "For I found him," continued the doctor, ignoring this outburst, "living alone and unwanted in an abandoned soda bottle—without family or relatives—"†
p. 139.9 *relatives = people related by blood or marriage
- he replied, lowering his arm to the vast relief of the bug: that is, comparatively no. What I mean is, relatively maybe—in other words, roughly perhaps.†
p. 221.4 *relatively = in comparison to something else
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.