relative to

Idioms and Phrases

Correspondent or proportionate to, as in Relative to its size, Boston has a great many universities , or It's important to get all the facts relative to the collision . Another form of this idiom is in or with relation to , meaning “in reference or with regard to,” as in Demand is high in relation to supply , or That argument changes nothing with relation to our plans for hiring workers . The usages with relative date from the second half of the 1700s, those with relation from the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

Part of the appeal for settling in Springfield was its affordability relative to other cities, the tight-knit community that allows for newcomers to rent rooms from more established residents without the typical financial hurdles of apartment hunting and the relative ease in finding work.

From Salon

This scale of change in the groundwater-irrigated economy would reduce farm profits relative to the status quo scenario by $7.5 million to $9 million annually.

From Science Daily

High-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, purifiers running at five to 10 air changes per hour cost $1 to $5 per square foot for typical ceiling heights, and indoor particle exposure can be reduced by 10 to 50 times relative to the outdoors, depending on the rate of particles still seeping into the room once doors and windows are closed.

From Los Angeles Times

The researchers found that in birds, the tibial joint surfaces have curved arcs, and the shortened fibula is able to roll within the bird's drumstick for about its length relative to the tibia.

From Science Daily

“It could still be a dry season relative to normal, it’s just too early to tell,” said Roger Gass, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Monterey.

From Los Angeles Times