What does “relationship” mean?
- 1
nounthe way people or groups feel about and behave toward each other
She has a good relationship with her boss.
- 2
nouna romantic or sexual connection between two people
They’ve been in a relationship for three years.
- 3
nounthe way two or more things are connected
There is a clear relationship between diet and health.
Relationship at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /rɪˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp/ · rih-LAY-shun-ship
How to use “relationship” correctly
Use “with” for people (“my relationship with my sister”) and “between” for two things (“the relationship between price and demand”).
Common phrases with “relationship”
- relationship with
- relationship between
- in a relationship
- close relationship
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- connection
- link
- bond
Word family
- relate
- relation
- related
“relationship” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- community nounB1the people who live in one area
- generation nounB1all the people born and living at about the same time
- marriage nounB1the legal relationship between two people who are husband and wife or partners
- responsibility nounB1a duty to take care of someone or something as part of your job or role
- sex nounB1the biological state of being male or female
- adult nounA2a person or animal that is fully grown
- couple nounA2two people who are married or in a romantic relationship
- guy nounA2a man (informal)