noun
1 connection between two or more things
ADJECTIVE
▪ causal
▪ direct
▪
The energy an animal uses is in direct ~ to speed and body mass.
▪ complex
▪
the complex ~ between business and society
▪ close , intimate
▪
The study shows the close ~ between poverty and ill health.
▪ significant
▪ spatial
▪
The right side of the brain deals with spatial ~s between objects.
VERB + RELATION
▪ bear , have
▪
The movie bore no ~ to ( = was very different from ) the book.
▪
The fee bears little ~ to the service provided.
▪ establish , show
▪
He established a ~ between asthma and certain types of work.
▪ analyse/analyze , explore
▪
Her work explores the ~ between technology and culture.
PREPOSITION
▪ in ~ to
▪
Similar policies were pursued in the 1970s, particularly in ~ to health services.
▪ ~ between , ~ to
▪
the ~ of the subject to the object
2 member of sb's family
ADJECTIVE
▪ close , near
▪ distant
▪ blood
▪ poor ( often figurative )
▪
Other sparkling wines are often considered the poor ~s of champagne.
VERB + RELATION
▪ visit
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ to
▪
What ~ is Rita to you?
PHRASES
▪ friends and ~s
3 relations between people/groups/countries
ADJECTIVE
▪ close , intimate
▪ cordial , friendly , good , harmonious
▪ improved
▪
a period of improved trade ~s
▪ difficult , poor , strained
▪
Relations between the two countries are strained.
▪ bilateral , diplomatic , foreign , international , political , trade
▪
The US broke off diplomatic ~s with Cuba's communist government.
▪
the growing chill in Anglo-French diplomatic ~s
▪ industrial , labour/labor
▪
The change of government led to improved industrial ~s.
▪ class , gender , race
▪ economic , power , social
▪ public
▪
a public ~s exercise
▪ customer , investor
▪ human , interpersonal , personal
▪ family , marital
▪
a breakdown of marital ~s leading to divorce
▪ sexual
▪ parent-child , student-teacher , etc.
▪ Anglo-American , East-West , etc.
VERB + RELATIONS
▪ cultivate , develop , establish , foster , maintain
▪
the need to establish good ~s with our European partners
▪ break off , sever , suspend
▪
Diplomatic ~s have been broken off between the two countries.
▪ damage , poison , sour
▪
The move soured ~s between Washington and Moscow.
▪ improve , strengthen
▪
Renewed efforts are being made to improve the strained ~s between the two countries.
▪ normalize ( esp. AmE ), repair
▪ re-establish , restore , resume
▪
Venezuela re-established diplomatic ~s with Cuba.
▪ govern , regulate
▪
the system governing social ~s in India
RELATION + VERB
▪ improve
▪
Relations between the two states have improved.
▪ deteriorate , sour , worsen
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ among , ~ between , ~ with
PHRASES
▪ an improvement in ~s