Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word
There was relative calm after the violence of the previous night.
a period of relative economic stability
The parents were discussing the relative merits of the local schools.
I think we work very hard, but it’s all relative.
This is the British English definition of relative. View American English definition of relative.
Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.
a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence
BuzzWord ArticleOpen Dictionary
a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons
add a wordMore submissions
view entriesBlog
A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.
global English and language change from our blog