# relation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ · frequency rank #4,262

## Definitions
1. The manner in which two things may be associated.
2. A member of one's extended family; a relative.
3. A relationship; the manner in which and tone with which people or states, etc. interact.
4. The act of relating a story.
5. A set of ordered tuples.
6. A set of ordered tuples.
7. A set of tuples, implemented as a table in a relational database.
8. A statement of equality of two products of generators, used in the presentation of a group.
9. A subobject of a product of objects.
10. The act of intercourse.

## Etymology
From Middle English relacion, relacioun, from Anglo-Norman relacioun and Old French relacion (whence French relation), from Latin relātiō, noun of process form from perfect passive participle relātus (“related”), from verb referō (“to refer, to relate”), from prefix re- (“again”) + ferō (“to bear, to carry”). By surface analysis, relate + -ion. Doublet of relazione.

## Easily confused with
- **religion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-religion)
- **relative** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relative)
- **rotation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-rotation)
- **relations** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relations)
- **revelation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-revelation)
- **relaxation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relaxation)
- **relocation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relocation)
- **relegation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relegation)
- **relational** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-relational)
- **ration** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ration-vs-relation)
- **reaction** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaction-vs-relation)
- **relating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relating-vs-relation)
- **regulation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/regulation-vs-relation)

## Common misspellings (12)
`erlation`, `realtion`, `relaiton`, `relasion`, `relatino`, `relationn`, `relatoin`, `relattion`, `rellation`, `reltaion`, `rleation`, `rrelation`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/relation