RELATIVITY

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does relativity mean? 

• RELATIVITY (noun)
  The noun RELATIVITY has 2 senses:

1. (physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts
2. the quality of being relative and having significance only in relation to something else

  Familiarity information: RELATIVITY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RELATIVITY (noun)

Meaning:

(physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

Einstein's theory of relativity; relativity; relativity theory; theory of relativity

Hypernyms ("relativity" is a kind of...):

scientific theory (a theory that explains scientific observations)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physical science; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Domain member category:

event (a phenomenon located at a single point in space-time; the fundamental observational entity in relativity theory)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "relativity"):

Einstein's general theory of relativity; general relativity; general relativity theory; general theory of relativity (a generalization of special relativity to include gravity (based on the principle of equivalence))

Einstein's special theory of relativity; special relativity; special relativity theory; special theory of relativity (a physical theory of relativity based on the assumption that the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant and the assumption that the laws of physics are invariant in all inertial systems)

Meaning:

The quality of being relative and having significance only in relation to something else

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("relativity" is a kind of...):

quality (an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone)