Relation vs. Relationship: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
'Relation' refers to a connection or association between things or concepts, while 'relationship' denotes an emotional or social connection between people.
Key Differences
Relation often implies a logical or natural association between concepts, objects, or entities. Relationship, in contrast, typically refers to a more personal, emotional, or social connection between individuals.
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Nov 24, 2023
In Relation, the focus is on the way in which two or more things are connected. Relationship, however, emphasizes interpersonal dynamics and often involves mutual dealings or commitments.
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Relation can be used in various contexts, like mathematics, science, or linguistics, to denote a type of connection. Relationship tends to be used in the context of human interactions, including family, friendships, or romantic partnerships.
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The term Relation is broader and more general, encompassing any kind of link or correspondence. Relationship is more specific, often implying a deeper, ongoing, and interactive bond.
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Relation can be impersonal and objective, as in describing the relation between cause and effect. Relationship is typically personal and subjective, focusing on feelings and experiences shared between people.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Connection or association between things or concepts
Emotional or social connection between people
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Context
Broad, used in various fields like science, math
Primarily human interactions: family, friends, romance
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Nature
Can be impersonal and objective
Personal, often implying emotional involvement
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Usage
More general, encompassing various links
More specific, denoting a deeper, ongoing bond
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Relation and Relationship Definitions
Relation
Relation refers to a connection between concepts or things.
The relation between supply and demand is fundamental in economics.
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Relationship
Relationship refers to an emotional or social connection between people.
Their relationship has grown stronger over the years.
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Relation
Relation denotes the way in which two entities are associated.
The relation of the moon to ocean tides is well-studied in astronomy.
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Relationship
Relationship denotes a connection involving mutual dealings.
The teacher-student relationship is based on trust and respect.
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Relation
Relation can mean a relative or family member.
She invited all her close relations to the family reunion.
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Relationship
Relationship can imply an ongoing interaction or association.
Building a good relationship with clients is key to business success.
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Relation
Relation is used to describe a logical or mathematical link.
The relation between circumference and diameter is constant in circles.
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Relationship
Relationship is used to describe family ties or kinship.
The relationship between siblings can be very complex.
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Relation
Relation can indicate a reference or relevance to something.
His speech had little relation to the main topic of the conference.
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Relationship
The condition or fact of being related; connection or association.
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Relation
A logical or natural association between two or more things; relevance of one to another; connection
The relation between smoking and heart disease.
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Relationship
A particular type of connection existing between people related to or having dealings with each other
Has a close relationship with his siblings.
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Relation
The way in which one person or thing is connected with another
The relation of parent to child.
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Relation
The mutual dealings or connections of persons, groups, or nations in social, business, or diplomatic matters
International relations.
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Relationship
(mathematics) The links between the x-values and y-values of ordered pairs of numbers especially coordinates.
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Relationship
A romantic or sexual involvement.
They have been in a relationship for ten years, but have never married.
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Relationship
A way in which two or more people behave and are involved with each other
I have a good working relationship with my boss.
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Relation
(Mathematics) A correspondence between two sets, consisting of a set of ordered pairs, the first element of each of which is from the first set, and the second element of each of which is from the second set. If A = {1,2} and B = {3,4}, then {(1,3), (1,4)} is a relation from A to B.
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Relationship
(music) The level or degree of affinity between keys, chords and tones.
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Relation
(Law) The principle by which an action done on a certain date is treated as having been done on an earlier date. Also called relation back.
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Relationship
The state of being related by kindred, affinity, or other alliance.
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Relation
The manner in which two things may be associated.
The relation between diet and health is complex.
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Relationship
A relation between people; (`relationship' is often used where `relation' would serve, as in `the relationship between inflation and unemployment', but the preferred usage of `relationship' is for human relations or states of relatedness);
The relationship between mothers and their children
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Relation
A member of one's extended family; a relative.
Yes, he's a relation of mine, but only a distant one.
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Relationship
A state of connectedness between people (especially an emotional connection);
He didn't want his wife to know of the relationship
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Relation
The act of relating a story.
Your relation of the events is different from mine.
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Relationship
A state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries
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Relationship
State of relatedness or connection by blood or marriage or adoption
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Relation
(set theory) Specifically, a set of ordered pairs; a binary relation.
Equality is a symmetric relation, while divisibility is not.
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Relationship
Relationship can mean a romantic or intimate bond.
They celebrated their fifth year in a committed relationship.
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Relation
(databases) A set of ordered tuples retrievable by a relational database; a table.
This relation uses the customer's social security number as a key.
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Relation
(mathematics) A statement of equality of two products of generators, used in the presentation of a group.
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Relation
The act of relating or telling; also, that which is related; recital; account; narration; narrative; as, the relation of historical events.
Oet's relation doth well figure them.
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Relation
The state of being related or of referring; what is apprehended as appertaining to a being or quality, by considering it in its bearing upon something else; relative quality or condition; the being such and such with regard or respect to some other thing; connection; as, the relation of experience to knowledge; the relation of master to servant.
Any sort of connection which is perceived or imagined between two or more things, or any comparison which is made by the mind, is a relation.
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Relation
Reference; respect; regard.
I have been importuned to make some observations on this art in relation to its agreement with poetry.
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Relation
Connection by consanguinity or affinity; kinship; relationship; as, the relation of parents and children.
Relations dear, and all the charitiesOf father, son, and brother, first were known.
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Relation
A person connected by cosanguinity or affinity; a relative; a kinsman or kinswoman.
For me . . . my relation does not care a rush.
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Relation
The carrying back, and giving effect or operation to, an act or proceeding frrom some previous date or time, by a sort of fiction, as if it had happened or begun at that time. In such case the act is said to take effect by relation.
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Relation
An abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together
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Relation
The act of sexual procreation between a man and a woman; the man's penis is inserted into the woman's vagina and excited until orgasm and ejaculation occur
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Relation
A person related by blood or marriage;
Police are searching for relatives of the deceased
He has distant relations back in New Jersey
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Relation
An act of narration;
He was the hero according to his own relation
His endless recounting of the incident eventually became unbearable
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Relation
(law) the principle that an act done at a later time is deemed by law to have occurred at an earlier time;
His attorney argued for the relation back of the ammended complaint to the time the initial complaint was filed
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Relation
(usually plural) mutual dealings or connections among persons or groups;
International relations
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a relation?
A connection or association between things or concepts.
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What's an example of relation in mathematics?
The relation between variables in an equation.
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Can a business have relations with other companies?
Yes, in the context of partnerships or associations.
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What does a relationship mean?
An emotional or social connection between people.
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Does relationship always involve emotions?
Typically, it involves some level of emotional engagement.
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Can relation be used in a scientific context?
Yes, to denote connections or associations in science.
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Is relationship only romantic?
No, it encompasses various interpersonal connections.
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How important is communication in a relationship?
It's crucial for understanding and maintaining healthy interactions.
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Can relation be used to describe a causal link?
Yes, like in cause-and-effect situations.
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How does culture influence relationships?
Cultural norms and values significantly shape relationship dynamics.
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Is relation the same as a relative?
In some contexts, it can mean a family member.
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How does social media affect relationships?
It can both enhance and challenge interpersonal dynamics.
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What role do trust and respect play in a relationship?
They are foundational for a healthy and stable relationship.
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Can technology change the way we form relationships?
Yes, it influences how we connect and interact with others.
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What is a toxic relationship?
A relationship harmful to one or both participants.
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Is a professional relation the same as a personal relationship?
No, they differ in nature and boundaries.
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How can relationships impact mental health?
They can greatly affect emotional well-being, positively or negatively.
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What is a symbiotic relationship?
A mutually beneficial relationship between two different organisms.
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Are relations always direct or clear?
Not necessarily; they can be indirect or complex.
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Can a relation exist without personal interaction?
Yes, it can be impersonal or indirect.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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Hifza Nasir
