relationship
UK[rɪˈleɪʃ(ə)nʃɪp]US[rɪˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp]
n
The way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected.
n
The way in which two or more people or groups feel about and behave towards each other.
n
A romantic or sexual friendship between two people.
Morpheme Breakdown
relation
ship
relation
a connection or association.
ship
Etymology
The word 'relationship' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the older noun 'relation'. 'Relation' itself originates from Latin 'relatus', meaning "brought back" or "reported," stemming from the verb 'referre' (re- "back" + ferre "to bear, carry"). This core idea of carrying something back evolved into the sense of a connection or report between things. In the 16th century, the native English suffix '-ship', which denotes a state, condition, or quality (as in 'friendship', 'hardship'), was appended to 'relation'. Thus, 'relationship' literally means "the state or condition of being connected," abstracting the concrete act of reporting or referring into the broader concept of an existing connection or association between entities.
Analysis
Structure: relation + ship
- relation: From Latin 'relatus', the past participle of 'referre' (to bring back, report, refer). In this word, it functions as the base noun meaning "a connection or association."
- ship: From Old English '-scipe', a suffix forming nouns denoting state, condition, or quality. In this word, it functions as an abstract noun-forming suffix.
Examples
The relationship between diet and health is complex.
They have a good working relationship with their colleagues.
After ten years, their relationship is still strong.