Meaning & use
dyadic relationship
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
A relationship or interaction that involves two people, such as a couple, a parent and child, or two friends.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a dyadic relationship' or 'dyadic relationships'. It is often used in academic writing.
Patterns
- a dyadic relationship between two people
- in a dyadic relationship
The study focused on dyadic relationships between mothers and their infants.
In a dyadic relationship, both partners influence each other's behavior.
Therapists often examine dyadic relationships to understand family dynamics.
Word forms
| plural | dyadic relationships |
|---|
Common combinations
- form a dyadic relationship
- The two colleagues formed a dyadic relationship based on trust.
- dyadic relationship between
- The dyadic relationship between the therapist and client is crucial.
- dyadic relationship quality
- Researchers measured dyadic relationship quality over time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- two-person relationship
- A plain English equivalent, but less formal and not used as a technical term.
- pair bond
- Used mainly in biology for a strong relationship between two animals or humans, often romantic.
Word family
Commonly confused: dyadic relationship or dual relationship?
dyadic relationship vs dual relationship
This means a situation where two people have more than one role (e.g., therapist and friend), which can be unethical. A dyadic relationship simply involves two people.
Practice
What does 'dyadic relationship' mean?
Choose one answer.
The prefix 'dyad-' means two, so a dyadic relationship involves exactly two individuals. The other options involve more than two parties or a different kind of relationship.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dyadic relationship”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.