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re·la·tion (rĭ-lāshən)
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n.
1. A logical or natural association between two or more things; relevance of one to another; connection: the relation between smoking and heart disease.
2. The connection of people by blood or marriage; kinship.
3. A person connected to another by blood or marriage; a relative.
4. The way in which one person or thing is connected with another: the relation of parent to child.
5. relations
a. The mutual dealings or connections of persons, groups, or nations in social, business, or diplomatic matters: international relations.
b. Sexual intercourse.
6.
a. The act of telling or narrating.
b. A narrative; an account.
7. Mathematics A correspondence between two sets, consisting of a set of ordered pairs, the first element of each of which is from the first set, and the second element of each of which is from the second set. If A = {1,2} and B = {3,4}, then {(1,3), (1,4)} is a relation from A to B.
8. Law The principle by which an action done on a certain date is treated as having been done on an earlier date. Also called relation back.
Idiom:
in relation to
In reference to; in connection with: This letter from the bank is in relation to your mortgage.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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