Standard Lemma guide

relativize

verb · 3 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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1

verb

Meaning 1

To make one thing relative to another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make relative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • to relativize indirect objects

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

consider or treat as relative

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: relativise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: see, consider, reckon, view, regard

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English relative Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English relativize From relative + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: suhteuttaa — to make relative to
  • Finnish: suhteellistaa — to make relative to
  • French: relativiser — to make relative to
  • German: relativieren — to make relative to
  • Italian: relativizzare — to make relative to
  • Polish: relatywizować — to make relative to
  • Polish: zrelatywizować — to make relative to
  • Romanian: relativiza — to make relative to
  • Russian: релятивизи́ровать (reljativizírovatʹ) — to make relative to
  • Russian: релятивизова́ть (reljativizovátʹ) — to make relative to