relation

re·la·tion

noun \ri-ˈlā-shən\

Definition of RELATION

1

: the act of telling or recounting : account

2

: an aspect or quality (as resemblance) that connects two or more things or parts as being or belonging or working together or as being of the same kind <the relation of time and space>; specifically : a property (as one expressed by is equal to, is less than, or is the brother of) that holds between an ordered pair of objects

3

: the referring by a legal fiction of an act to a prior date as the time of its taking effect —usually used with back

4

a (1) : a person connected by consanguinity or affinity : relative (2) : a person legally entitled to a share of the property of an intestate b : relationship by consanguinity or affinity : kinship

5

: reference, respect <in relation to>

6

: the attitude or stance which two or more persons or groups assume toward one another <race relations>

7

a : the state of being mutually or reciprocally interested (as in social or commercial matters) b plural (1) : dealings, intercourse <foreign relations> (2) : sexual intercourse

Examples of RELATION

1. The incident led to tense international relations.
2. sexual relations outside of marriage

Origin of RELATION

Middle English relacion, from Anglo-French, from Latin relation-, relatio, from referre (past participle relatus) to carry back

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to RELATION

Synonyms: commerce, dealings, interaction, intercourse

Antonyms: nonintercourse

Related Words: interrelationship; cross-fertilization, cross-pollination; companionship, company

Near Antonyms: variability, variance; incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with RELATION

aeration, Alsatian, carnation, castration, causation, cessation, cetacean, citation, Claymation, cognation, collation, conflation, C ration, creation, cremation, crenation, Croatian, crustacean, dalmatian, damnation, deflation, delation, dictation, dilation, donation, earth station, elation, Eurasian, filtration, fixation, flirtation, flotation, formation, foundation, frustration, gas station, gestation, gradation, gustation, guttation, gyration, hydration, inflation, lactation, legation, libation, location, lunation, lustration, luxation, migration, mutation, narration, negation, notation, oblation, oration, outstation, ovation, palmation, palpation, plantation, potation, predation, privation, probation, pronation, proration, prostration, pulsation, punctation, pupation, purgation, rogation, rotation, salvation, sedation, sensation, serration, space station, stagflation, stagnation, starvation, striation, substation, summation, tarnation, taxation, temptation, translation, truncation, vacation, vexation, vibration, vocation, way station, workstation