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Relative vs Respective - What's the difference?

relative | respective |

As adjectives the difference between relative and respective

is that relative is connected to or depending on something else; comparative while respective is relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.

As a noun relative

is someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.

relative

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.
  • * 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “ Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, BBC Sport:
    • For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.
  • Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.
    • ''The relative URL /images/pic.jpg, when evaluated in the context of http&
  • x3A;//example.com/docs/pic.html, corresponds to the absolute URL http://example.com/images/pic.jpg.
  • (grammar) That relates to an antecedent.
  • (music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.
  • Relevant; pertinent; related.
    • relative to your earlier point about taxes, ...
  • Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.

    • Synonyms

    * comparative * conditional * limited

    Antonyms

    * absolute * unlimited

    Related terms

    * relatively * relativity * relativize * relativization

    Derived terms

    * relative to

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Someone in the same family; someone connected by blood, marriage, or adoption.
    • Why do my relatives always talk about sex?
  • (linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Related terms

    * relate * relation * relationship * relativism * relativity

    See also

    * aunt * brother * cousin * father * godparent * grandchild * granddaughter * grandson * great-grandchild * great-grandparent * in-law * mother * niece * nephew * parent * refer * referral * sister * stepdaughter * stepson * uncle

    Anagrams

    * ----

    respective

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; own.
    • They returned to their respective places of abode.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=August 23 , author=Alasdair Lamont , title=Hearts 0-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Adam and Novikovas swapped long-range efforts, neither of which troubled the respective keepers.}}
  • (obsolete) Noticing with attention; careful; wary.
  • * Archbishop Sandys
    • If you look upon the church of England with a respective eye, you can not refuse this charge.
  • (obsolete) Looking toward; having reference to; relative, not absolute.
    • the respective connections of society
  • (obsolete) Fitted to awaken respect.
  • * 1599 , , IV. iv. 192:
    • What should it be that he respects in her / But I can make respective in myself,
  • (obsolete) Rendering respect; respectful; regardful.
  • * Chapman
    • With respective shame, rose, took us by the hands.
  • * Lord Burleigh
    • With thy equals familiar, yet respective .

    Synonyms

    * (relating to particular persons or things) corresponding, relevant, specific

    Derived terms

    * respectiveness * irrespective