Relative

(rel'a-tiv.) [ From L. relativus, having affinity to.] Generally, a term which conveys the sense of dependence on, or affinity towards, something else; such relative terms are guardian and ward; master and pupil; father and child, .-(Gram.) A word which relates to or represents another word, called its antecedent; or to a sentence, or member thereof, or to a series of sentences which constitute its antecedent. The relative pronouns in English are who, which, and that. What is used for that which, thus including both relative and antecedent.- (Mus.) Expre ive of, or belonging to, chords, which, on account of the identity of some of their tones, permit a natural transition from one to the other. R. keys are those which have all their tones save one in common; a minor mode or key is also said to be the R. of the major key owning the same signature. [s. 761]