relation

[ri-ley-shuh n] /rɪˈleɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
an existing connection; a significant association between or among things:
the relation between cause and effect.
2.
relations.
  1. the various connections between peoples, countries, etc.:
    foreign relations.
  2. the various connections in which persons are brought together:
    business and social relations.
  3. sexual intercourse.
3.
the mode or kind of connection between one person and another, between an individual and God, etc.
4.
connection between persons by blood or marriage.
5.
a person who is related by blood or marriage; relative:
his wife's relations.
6.
the act of relating, narrating, or telling; narration.
7.
Law. a principle whereby effect is given to an act done at one time as if it had been done at a previous time.
8.
Mathematics.
  1. a property that associates two quantities in a definite order, as equality or inequality.
  2. a single- or multiple-valued function.
Idioms
9.
in / with relation to, with reference to; concerning:
It's best to plan with relation to anticipated changes in one's earnings.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English relacion < Latin relātiōn- (stem of relātiō). See relate, -ion
Related forms
relationless, adjective
nonrelation, noun
prerelation, noun
subrelation, noun
Synonyms
1. relationship; tie, link. 2a, b. association. 4. relationship, kinship. 6. recitation, recital, description.
Antonyms
1. independence.
Examples from the web for relations
  • Humans are deeply social creatures, after all, so it seems logical that good social relations should improve our lives.
  • After a brief period of coexistence, relations between the newcomers and natives deteriorated.
  • Food symbolizes many aspects of everyday culture and is a vehicle for social relations.
  • Mack answered their critics with its own advertising and public relations efforts.
  • relations-The whole of this vessel is contained within the pericardium.
  • The position and relations of the pharyngeal orifice are described with the nasal part of the pharynx.
  • Dont you insult human relations by dragging all this cant about buying and selling into it.
  • He was a walking public-relations disaster and had to go.
  • In other words, the dispute over sovereignty is set aside in the interests of better relations.
  • We believe in broad-based regional integration, and in similar relations with the wider world.
British Dictionary definitions for relations

relations

/rɪˈleɪʃənz/
plural noun
1.
social, political, or personal connections or dealings between or among individuals, groups, nations, etc: to enjoy good relations
2.
family or relatives
3.
(euphemistic) sexual intercourse

relation

/rɪˈleɪʃən/
noun
1.
the state or condition of being related or the manner in which things are related
2.
connection by blood or marriage; kinship
3.
a person who is connected by blood or marriage; relative; kinsman
4.
reference or regard (esp in the phrase in or with relation to)
5.
the position, association, connection, or status of one person or thing with regard to another or others
6.
the act of relating or narrating
7.
an account or narrative
8.
(law) the principle by which an act done at one time is regarded in law as having been done antecedently
9.
(law) the statement of grounds of complaint made by a relator
10.
(logic, maths)
  1. an association between ordered pairs of objects, numbers, etc, such as … is greater than …
  2. the set of ordered pairs whose members have such an association
11.
(philosophy)
  1. internal relation, a relation that necessarily holds between its relata, as 4 is greater than 2
  2. external relation, a relation that does not so hold
See also relations
Word Origin
C14: from Latin relātiō a narration, a relation (between philosophical concepts)
Word Origin and History for relations

relation

n.

late 14c., "connection, correspondence;" also "act of telling," from Anglo-French relacioun, Old French relacion "report, connection" (14c.), from Latin relationem (nominative relatio) "a bringing back, restoring; a report, proposition," from relatus (see relate). Meaning "person related by blood or marriage" first attested c.1500. Stand-alone phrase no relation "not in the same family" is attested by 1930.

relations in Medicine

relation re·la·tion (rĭ-lā'shən)
n.

  1. A logical or natural association between two or more things; relevance of one to another; connection.

  2. The connection of people by blood or marriage; kinship.

  3. A person connected to another by blood or marriage; a relative.

  4. The positional relationship of the teeth or other structures in the mouth.

Idioms and Phrases with relations

relation

see: