Phrase guide

relative pronoun

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv ˈpɹəʊ.naʊn/
  • General-American: /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv ˈpɹoʊ.naʊn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A pronoun that introduces a relative clause and refers to an antecedent. In English, some words that can be used as interrogative pronouns can alternatively be used as relative pronouns: which, who, whose, whom and (non-standard) what. The other English relative pronouns are whoever, whomever, whatever, and that.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a pronoun (as `that' or `which' or `who') that introduces a relative clause referring to some antecedent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pronoun

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: pronome rellativu — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Azerbaijani: nisbi əvəzlik — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Breton: ger stagañ — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Catalan: pronom relatiu — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Chinese Cantonese: 關係代名詞 /关系代名词 (gwaan1 hai6 doi6 ming4 ci4) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 關係代名詞 /关系代名词 (guānxi dàimíngcí) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Czech: vztažné zájmeno — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Danish: relativpronomen — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Danish: relativt pronomen — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Danish: henførende stedord — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Dutch: betrekkelijk voornaamwoord — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Esperanto: rilata pronomo — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Faroese: afturbeint fornavn — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Finnish: relatiivipronomini — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • French: pronom relatif — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Galician: pronome relativo — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Georgian: მიმართებითი ნაცვალსახელი (mimartebiti nacvalsaxeli) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • German: Relativpronomen — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Hungarian: vonatkozó névmás — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Icelandic: tilvísunarfornafn — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Irish: forainm coibhneasta — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Italian: pronome relativo — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Japanese: 関係代名詞 (kankei-daimeishi) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Latin: pronomen relativum — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Mongolian: холбох төлөөний нэр (xolbox tölöönii ner) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Norwegian: relativt pronomen — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Polish: zaimek względny — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Portuguese: pronome relativo — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Romanian: pronume relativ — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Russian: относи́тельное местоиме́ние (otnosítelʹnoje mestoiménije) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Spanish: pronombre relativo — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Swedish: relativpronomen — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Tagalog: panghalip na pamanggit — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Thai: ประพันธสรรพนาม (bprà-pan-tá-sàp-pá-naam) — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Turkish: ilgi adılı — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Vietnamese: đại từ quan hệ — pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • Welsh: rhagenw perthynol — pronoun that introduces a relative clause