relationship

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The way two or more people or groups feel about each other and behave towards each other.

   Grammar: Usually followed by with or between: a good relationship with my boss.

   Patterns

   • a relationship with someone
   • the relationship between people

   She has a close relationship with her grandmother.

   The relationship between the two neighbors improved after the dispute ended.

   Good teachers build a respectful relationship with their classes.

2. 2nouncountable

   A romantic or sexual partnership between two people.

   Grammar: Often used with in: they are in a relationship, or after a verb such as start or end.

   Patterns

   • be in a relationship
   • end a relationship

   They kept their relationship secret for almost a year.

   After a long relationship, he moved to a new city.

   She is not ready for a serious relationship yet.

3. 3nouncountable

   A connection or link between two things, ideas or quantities, showing how one affects or depends on the other.

   Grammar: Almost always between: the relationship between sleep and memory.

   Patterns

   • the relationship between something and something
   • a relationship to something

   Researchers studied the relationship between exercise and mood.

   There is a clear relationship between price and demand.

   The graph shows a weak relationship between age and income.

Word forms

Common combinations

build a relationship

It takes time to build a relationship based on trust.

close relationship

The two sisters have a very close relationship.

strained relationship

His strained relationship with his father worried the whole family.

working relationship

We have a good working relationship even though we disagree sometimes.

cause-and-effect relationship

The study found no cause-and-effect relationship.

in a relationship

Are you in a relationship at the moment?

Synonyms and how they differ

connection

Connection is broader and can be a loose link, whereas relationship suggests an ongoing interaction between the two sides.

bond

A bond is a strong emotional tie, so it is warmer and more specific than relationship, which can be cold or neutral.

link

Link is used for a fact or cause joining two ideas, while relationship describes a more complex pattern.

association

Association often implies being joined in a group or in the mind, and it is more formal than relationship.

Opposites

Word family

relate verb

to connect with or concern something, or to tell a story

related adjective

connected, or belonging to the same family

relation noun

a connection between things, or a family member

relative noun

a member of your family

relational adjective

concerning relationships or connections

Commonly confused: relationship or relation?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “relationship”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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