noun
relative
A word that introduces a clause and refers back to something already mentioned.
In “the woman who called,” “who” is a relative referring to “woman.”
Etymology
The source describes reference back to something. A grammatical relative connects its clause to a person or thing already identified.
More examples
- A relative introduces a clause that gives information about an earlier noun.
- The relatives “who” and “which” typically refer to people and things, respectively.
- In “the book that I borrowed,” the relative is “that.”
Forms
relative · relatives
Similar words
- relative pronoun
- A relative that functions as a pronoun within its clause.
- relative adverb
- A relative that expresses place, time, or reason.