relationship

[ri-ley-shuhn-ship]

noun

1. a connection, association, or involvement.

   Synonyms: kinship, alliance, dependence

2. connection between persons by blood or marriage.

   Synonyms: consanguinity, affinity

3. an emotional or other connection between people.

   the relationship between teachers and students.

4. a sexual involvement; affair.

relationship

/ rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp /

noun

1. the state of being connected or related

2. association by blood or marriage; kinship

3. the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties, countries, people, etc

   a business relationship

4. an emotional or sexual affair or liaison

5. logic maths another name for relation

Other Word Forms

• prerelationship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of relationship¹

First recorded in 1735–45; relation + -ship

Synonym Study

Relationship, kinship refer to connection with others by blood or by marriage. Relationship can be applied to connection either by birth or by marriage: relationship to a ruling family. Kinship generally denotes common descent and implies a more intimate connection than relationship: the ties and obligations of kinship.

Example Sentences

Putin and Xi have previously touted their countries' relationship as a "friendship with no limits", and Russia hopes gas exports to China and other countries will replace the revenue lost after Western sanctions were imposed.

Read more on BBC

She also pointed to Microsoft’s existing relationships with enterprise customers, which provide the company with more ways of distributing and monetizing AI products.

Read more on MarketWatch

Talk to me about that relationship with him.

Read more on BBC

But, he added, political change could help repair the relationship.

Read more on Barron's

Rosenstein, who has practiced yoga six days a week for decades, thought he could bring about change at companies by building relationships with management.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accord 
• affair 
• communication 
• contact 
• exchange 
• liaison 
• link 
• marriage 
• rapport 
• relation 
• tie