German word

relativ

Pronunciation

IPA/ʁelaˈtiːf/

Meaning

  • adverbrelatively

Example

Die Prüfung war relativ einfach.

The exam was relatively easy.

Illustration for relativ (relatively)

More examples

Am Samstag war die Stadt relativ ruhig.

On Saturday, the city was relatively quiet.

Core concept

A comparison placed beside a scale makes a judgment less absolute.

Common phrases

  • relativ ruhig

    relatively quiet

  • relativ klein

    relatively small

  • relativ sicher

    relatively safe

Similar words

ziemlich: To a fairly high degree.
etwas: To a small degree.
eher: Indicating a tendency or preference toward one side.

Definition in German

markiert einen abgeschwächten Grad und macht eine Aussage weniger absolut.

Word origin

German relativ comes from Latin relativus, "relating to", which derives from referre, "to refer back", and connects comparison with a reference point.

Usage tips

  • With relativ zu, the following noun phrase is in the dative, as in "relativ zu den Kosten".

Other meanings

  • comparativelyadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word