Definition of RELIEF (original) (raw)
1
: a payment made by a male feudal tenant to his lord on succeeding to an inherited estate
2
a
: removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing
c
: military assistance to an endangered post or force
d
: means of breaking or avoiding monotony or boredom : diversion
3
: release from a post or from the performance of duty
4
: one that takes the place of another on duty
5
: legal remedy or redress
6
[French, from Middle French, from Italian rilievo relievo]
a
: a mode of sculpture in which forms and figures are distinguished from a surrounding plane surface
b
: sculpture or a sculptural form executed in this mode
c
: projecting detail, ornament, or figures
7
a
: sharpness of outline due to contrast
a roof in bold relief against the sky
b
: the state of being distinguished by contrast
throws the two opinions into bold relief
8
: the elevations or inequalities of a land surface
9
: the pitching done by a relief pitcher
two innings of hitless relief
Illustration of relief
- relief 6b
2
: characterized by surface inequalities
3
: of or used in letterpress
Synonyms
Examples of relief in a Sentence
Noun
I felt such a sense of relief after I finished my thesis. He expressed relief that the crisis was finally over. Much to everyone's relief, the airplane took off without any problems. What a relief it is to be back home. Exercise is an excellent source of stress relief. Both candidates promised tax relief for middle-class families. Countries from around the world have been sending relief to the flood victims. We donated to the relief effort for the hurricane victims. My father lost his job and we had to go on relief.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Lobby group Family Business UK said tens of thousands of family-run businesses and farms will be ruined by this change due to lower levels of inheritance tax relief. —
Marc Shoffman, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024 One Israeli official suggested that Netanyahu could look to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza early in Trump’s term as a way of handing the Republican a quick diplomatic victory amid relief over Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
The Supreme Court has previously rejected requests to hear other cases where anti-relief plaintiffs had been dismissed by lower courts. —Matt Ford, The New Republic, 15 Dec. 2022 The anti-relief faction, with its sudden warnings about deficits, is eager to revive the Tea Party spirit, and its would-be leaders are ur-Tea Partyers like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. —Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, 4 Aug. 2020 See all Example Sentences for relief 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English relef, relief, from Anglo-French, from relever to relieve
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of relief was in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near relief
Cite this Entry
“Relief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relief. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
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Last Updated: 12 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences
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