Definition of RELATIVITY

relativity

Meanings

Plural: relativities

Noun

  • (physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts
  • the quality of being relative and having significance only in relation to something else
  • The state of being relative to something else; the absence of universally applicable rules or standards; relativism; (countable) an instance of this.
  • Ellipsis of principle of relativity (“the principle that the laws of physics should be the same for all observers”).
  • Ellipsis of principle of relativity (“the principle that the laws of physics should be the same for all observers”).
  • Also Einsteinian relativity: the reliance of the nature of physical phenomena (such as gravity, light, mass, and time) on the relative motion between an observer and the thing observed, as developed by Albert Einstein in two theories, special relativity and general relativity.
  • An evaluation of the similarities and differences between things; a comparison; hence, a difference in position or status between things; a disparity.
  • An evaluation of the similarities and differences between things; a comparison; hence, a difference in position or status between things; a disparity.
  • The difference in pay or positions between different employees in a business (internal relativity), or between different businesses (external relativity); a differential.

Origin / Etymology

From relative (“connected to or depending on something else”) + -ity (suffix forming nouns from adjectives where the nouns refer to the properties, qualities, or states described by the adjectives). Sense 2.1 (“reliance of the nature of physical phenomena on the relative motion between an observer and the thing observed”) is a translation of German Relativität (“relativity”) used in the works of the German-American theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955).
Morphologically relative + -ity

Synonyms

Einstein's theory of relativity, relativity theory, theory of relativity

Scrabble Score: 16

relativity is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
relativity is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
relativity is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

relativity is a valid Words With Friends word