relatively

adverb

rel·​a·​tive·​ly ˈre-lə-tiv-lē How to pronounce relatively (audio)
Synonyms of relativelynext
: to a relative degree or extent : somewhat
a relatively small group of people
relatively cool weather
The house is relatively new.
see also:
relatively speaking

Synonyms of relatively

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of relatively in a Sentence

these newly acquired in-laws felt relatively comfortable at our family reunion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite its relatively small size, the sector has continued to grow. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 7 July 2026 This island is relatively under the radar compared to Dubrovnik and Split, so great for escaping the crowds. — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Their relatively compact size also allows them to be deployed from a variety of surface vessels or smaller craft. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026 But the data also shows the Switch being a relatively resilient market force that could sustain its commercial life well into its second decade on the market. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for relatively

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of relatively was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing relatively

Browse Nearby Words

relative location
relatively
relatively prime
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relatively. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

relatively

adverb
rel·​a·​tive·​ly
ˈrel-ət-iv-lē
: somewhat entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on relatively

Nglish: Translation of relatively for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All