relief
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English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.
Noun[edit]
relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)
- The removal of stress or discomfort.
- I sighed with relief when I found out that my daughter hadn't got lost, but was waiting for me at home.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
- Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, […] . It was with a palpable relief that he heard the first warning notes of the figure.
- The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
- 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict[1]:
- Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, […] .”
- 2020 April 8, Philip Haigh, “Out of the current crisis we could see meaningful changes”, in Rail, page 56:
- DfT's action was greeted with great relief in many quarters.
- Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
- The person who takes over a shift for another.
- Officer Schmidt can finally go home because his relief has arrived.
- 1963 February, “Motive Power Miscellany: London Midland Region”, in Modern Railways, page 136:
- At Leeds a relief crew was waiting—but without a relief locomotive; after some discussion, the new men offered to take on the A3. [...].
- Aid or assistance offered in time of need.
- (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
- A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
- A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.
Synonyms[edit]
- (removal of stress and discomfort): ease, alleviation, liss, respite
- (feeling of removal of stress and discomfort): ease, alleviation, liss
- (person who takes over a shift): stand-in, substitute, backup, fill-in
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
removal of stress or discomfort
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feeling associated with removal of stress or discomfort
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release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another
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person who takes over a shift
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humanitarian aid or assistance
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aid or assistance offered in time of need
law: court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, redress
reduction in tax
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked: "exemption, liberation, exoneration, derogation"
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Etymology 2[edit]
From Italian rilievo, from rilevare (“to raise”), from Latin relevō (“to raise”).
Noun[edit]
relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

- A type of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
- The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
- The difference of elevations on a surface.
- the relief on that part of the Earth's surface
- 1947 January and February, “A Winter's Day on the Tyneside”, in Railway Magazine, page 29, photo caption:
- The approach to Newcastle (Central) Station from the north after a heavy snowfall. The complicated track layout is thrown into clear relief by the snow [referring to dark rails poking through the snow]
- (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.
Synonyms[edit]
- (type of artwork): embossing
- (difference of elevations on a surface): texture, topography
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
type of artwork
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apparent difference in elevation
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difference of elevations on a surface
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Adjective[edit]
relief (comparative more relief, superlative most relief)
- (of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.
- Of or used in letterpress.
Anagrams[edit]
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Inherited from Old French, from relever.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
relief m (plural reliefs)
- projection, relief
- (geography, mineralogy) relief, surface elevation
- (figuratively) contrast, definition, offset (against something else)
- mettre en relief ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- (sculpture) relief
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “relief”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Polish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French relief, from Old French relief, from relever, from Latin relevare.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
relief m inan
Declension[edit]
Declension of relief
Further reading[edit]
- relief in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- relief in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Noun[edit]
relief n (plural reliefuri)
- relief (difference of elevations on the Earth's surface)
Related terms[edit]
Swedish[edit]
Noun[edit]
relief c
- a relief (type of artwork)
Declension[edit]
Declension of relief | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | relief | reliefen | reliefer | relieferna |
Genitive | reliefs | reliefens | reliefers | reliefernas |
Derived terms[edit]
- reliefkarta (“relief map”)
References[edit]
Categories:
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/iːf
- Rhymes:English/iːf/2 syllables
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- English terms derived from Latin
- English lemmas
- English nouns
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- en:Law
- English terms derived from Italian
- en:Heraldry
- English adjectives
- en:Artistic works
- en:Sculpture
- French terms inherited from Old French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French 2-syllable words
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- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- fr:Geography
- fr:Mineralogy
- French terms with usage examples
- fr:Sculpture
- Polish terms borrowed from French
- Polish terms derived from French
- Polish terms derived from Old French
- Polish terms derived from Latin
- Polish 2-syllable words
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- Polish terms with audio links
- Rhymes:Polish/ɛljɛf
- Rhymes:Polish/ɛljɛf/2 syllables
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns
- pl:Sculpture
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
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