Relatives

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪvz/

Definitions

1. Connections formed by familial bonds, including blood relations and marriages
2. Individuals who share common ancestry or kinship through bloodlines or marital ties
3. People related by blood or through marriage sharing a family connection

Etymology: "Relatives" is the plural of "relative," which in this sense means a person linked to you by blood or marriage. The singular came into English in the late Middle Ages, likely through Old French "relatif," from Latin "relativus," meaning "referring back." That Latin word comes from "referre," "to bring back," and the kinship sense grows from the idea of one person being tied back to another through a shared line of descent.

Synonyms: family, kin, relations

Antonyms: strangers, non-relatives