Relative and Similar

Relative

Relative adjective - Being such only when compared to something else.
Usage example: after being crammed into a one-bedroom apartment, they lived in relative comfort in a two-bedroom house

Similar and relative are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Similar" instead an adjective "Relative".

Similar

Similar adjective - Having qualities in common.

Relative and similar are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Relative" instead an adjective "Similar".

Both words in one sentence

  • Series / New Tricks And while they didn't find an exact match, it did flag up someone from the ACPO files with a very similar genetic profile... i.e., a direct and close relative.
  • Jumping Fish It looks similar to this close relative from the coast of California, but can jump even higher.
    Source: Jumping Fish
  • Literature / Codex Alera The captain's tent is always in the same relative spot, even large fortresses like the one in Calderon have a similar set-up.
Cite this Source
Similar and Relative. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/relative/similar
Relative & Similar. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/relative/similar>.
Similar or Relative. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/relative/similar.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "relative" and "similar" have occurred on timeline