Skip to main content
relation

relation

38 3.9
A spoken or written description of what happened
  • noun
  • /rɪˈleɪʃən/
translation icon : relato
  • His account gives a clear relation of the series of events that unfolded that day.

Examples

  • The the record is really more of a relation between those two states.

  • The focus is not on the story's relation to reality but on its function.

  • This book tells a harsh and forbidding story and makes one wonder just exactly what its relation to truth is.

  • What is problematic is the relation of this personal thinking to his corporeal being.

    Academic text (2017)
  • We will describe key findings from these studies in the following section: Prosody in relation to reading skill.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Contemporary philosophers of time have continued to struggle with the relation between time consciousness and subjectivity.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Future efforts are needed to replicate and expand our understanding of the relation of vocabulary to lexical-level literacy skills.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Changes in species composition affect ecosystems at multiple levels, from mutualisms or predator-prey relations to disturbance regimes.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In her biography, she provided a detailed relation of her childhood experiences during the war.

  • The documentary offers a captivating relation of the events leading up to the historic landmark.

Synonyms

story
vsrelation
1.0

An account of events told to entertain or inform

is a neutral account stressing events without aiming mainly to entertain
record
vsrelation
2.5

A paper or file that gives information about past events

is the narrated description focusing on telling events rather than preserving evidence
history
vsrelation
899 1.0

An account of past events about a person or place

is neutral for events in any time and not limited to the past
account
vsrelation
466 3.0

A report that describes what happened

is the broader story form focusing on events rather than report style
narrative
vsrelation
336 3.9

A story that describes connected events

is a plain account without stressing creativity or fanciful detail
narration
vsrelation
23 3.4

Telling a story or describing events

is the product or report that results from that telling process
recounting
vsrelation
3 3.8

An account of events told in detail

is the general account that may not give detailed step by step telling
historical account
vsrelation
3 3.5

A written or spoken record of past events

is the broader account that can describe events not only tied to past records
narratio
vsrelation
9.9

A spoken or written story that explains events

is the general way of telling events without focusing on commentary

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

51 5.4

A thing someone leaves out, often by mistake

Compounds

62 3.4

Sex between people, for example in a romantic or casual relationship

A person who comes from the same family as you by birth, not by marriage

A connection between people or animals that shows how they interact

A connection between people that involves feelings or friendship

poor relation
  • Offensive
1 5.4

A person or thing that others see as less important than the rest of the group

How things are placed in space compared to each other

A connection between companies that helps them work together

conditional relation
  • Specialized
8.3

A link between two statements that says if one is true then the other must be true

A duty of company directors to act for the shareholders' benefit

A private professional relationship where a doctor cares for a patient

A formal connection between teachers and their students at school or university

anaphoric relation
  • Specialized
9.1

A link between a pronoun and the word that shows who or what it means

A relationship where a lawyer must act for a client's best interests and keep matters private

8.9

A relationship where one person trusts another who must act for their benefit

A professional relationship in which a lawyer must act for a client's benefit and keep information secret

6.7

A relationship between people or groups that the law recognizes, like lawyer and client

linguistic relation
  • Specialized
7.7

A connection between words or parts of a sentence, for example agreement between adjectives and nouns

logical relation
  • Specialized
6.3

A connection between multiple statements that shows if one follows another, is the same, or is the opposite

magnitude relation
  • Specialized
7.8

A way to compare sizes or amounts to show which is bigger

mathematical relation
  • Specialized
5.4

A connection between values that shows when they are equal or which is larger

A relationship between a doctor or nurse and a patient for health care

mirror-image relation
  • Specialized
9.1

A relationship where two molecules or crystals are exact mirror reflections of each other

grammatical relation
  • Specialized
6.2

The way words and phrases connect in a sentence, like subject or object

The way a nurse and a patient work together, with the nurse trying to help and protect the patient's health

A relationship between a trained helper and a person who gets their help, like a doctor or lawyer

quantitative relation
  • Specialized
6.7

A rule that shows how one amount changes with another

A legal relationship where a person in charge of a bankrupt person's property manages it for the people owed money

relation back
  • Formal
9.9

Treating a later court document as filed on an earlier date

7.0

A relation where a smaller part belongs to a larger whole, like a wheel and a car

5.5

A duty of people in a business together to act honestly and protect each other's interests

phylogenetic relation
  • Specialized
9.8

A relationship showing how species are related because they came from the same older species

A connection between people or groups about who has power and influence

semantic relation
  • Specialized
7.2

A connection between what words, phrases, or sentences mean

A formal school relationship where a teacher helps and guides students

temporal relation
  • Specialized
7.6

A connection between events based on when they happen

A legal relationship where one person must act in another person's best interest

7.5

A link showing how a thing is made of smaller pieces

How Detailed

to chronicle
70 5.7
narrative
336 3.9
relation
38 3.9
report
1.3
to mention
1.0

Surface Forms

relation singular
relations plural

Morphology

relation = relate (transparent) = relate + ion

The noun is a regular nominalisation of 'relate' in the sense 'to tell', giving 'an account' or 'narration'.

Etymology

Relation originally meant a 'report' and comes from Latin parts re- 'back' and ferre 'to carry', as in 'carrying back' news. So a relation can be a spoken or written account of events.