All 5 Uses of
relative
in
It Happened to Nancy
- I went to the bathroom, and I'm glad Lew went with his family to see some relatives out in the country.†
p. 84.2 *relatives = people related by blood or marriage
- His relatives are all very physical, kissing and hugging and bugging us.†
p. 162.9
- All of his relatives are respectful of themselves.†
p. 166.9
- Lew has gone to visit relatives for the weekend.†
p. 202.1
- I felt like we had been friends forever, like we were long-lost relatives or something.†
p. 253.7
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.