Meaning & use
relative risk
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountabletechnicalmedical
A statistic comparing how likely an outcome is in one group, such as people exposed to something, with how likely it is in another group.
Grammar: Often used with of or for: the relative risk of heart disease.
Patterns
- the relative risk of something
- relative risk for someone
The study found a relative risk of 2.0 for smokers compared with non-smokers.
A relative risk below one suggests the treatment is protective.
Doctors explained the relative risk to the patient in plain terms.
nouncountable or uncountable
In everyday use, how much more or less dangerous one choice is compared with another.
Grammar: Used loosely outside statistics: weigh the relative risk of each plan.
Patterns
- the relative risk of each option
Investors weigh the relative risk of stocks and bonds.
The relative risk of flying is lower than driving on a long trip.
Planners compared the relative risk of the two routes.
Word forms
| plural | relative risks |
|---|
Common combinations
- relative risk of
- The relative risk of infection fell after vaccination.
- increased relative risk
- The study reported an increased relative risk of injury.
- calculate the relative risk
- Researchers calculate the relative risk from the two groups.
- reduce the relative risk
- Exercise can reduce the relative risk of stroke.
- high relative risk
- A high relative risk led to new guidance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- risk ratio
- Risk ratio is the same measure by another name, often used in textbooks.
- odds ratio
- Odds ratio compares odds rather than probabilities, so the numbers can differ.
- hazard ratio
- Hazard ratio compares rates over time, while relative risk compares overall chance.
- likelihood
- Likelihood is a general idea of chance, not a calculated comparison between groups.
Opposites
Word family
- risk noun
- the chance of something bad happening
- risky adjective
- involving danger
- relative adjective
- compared with something else
- relatively adverb
- in comparison
Commonly confused: relative risk or absolute risk?
relative risk vs absolute risk
Absolute risk is the plain chance of an outcome, while relative risk compares two groups. A relative risk of 2 can still mean a small absolute chance.
Practice
A study reports a relative risk of 1.5 for exposed people. What does this mean?
Choose one answer.
A relative risk of 1.5 means a 50 percent higher chance than the comparison group. A value of 1 would show no difference.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “relative risk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.