relativity
Definitions
The state of being relative; the fact that something depends on context or comparison.
相对性（依赖语境或比较的性质）。
In physics, Einstein's theory that space, time, and motion are relative to the observer's frame of reference.
（物理学）相对论（爱因斯坦关于时空、运动相对于观察者参照系的理论）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedrelative ('not absolute, depending on something') + -ity ('the quality of') = the quality of being relative. Einstein chose the term deliberately: his physics says there is no absolute frame — every measurement of time and space is 'carried back' to the observer's own viewpoint.
Root relat still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
Most people meet 'relativity' through Einstein, but the word's logic is plain English: it's the quality of being relative — depending on a frame of comparison rather than being absolute. Einstein's insight fits the root perfectly: there is no neutral, fixed vantage point in the universe; every measurement is taken relative to where you stand and how you move.
Common Collocations
- 1.theory of relativity相对论
- 2.general relativity广义相对论
- 3.special relativity狭义相对论
- 4.cultural relativity文化相对性
Example Sentences
- 1.
Einstein's theory of relativity transformed modern physics.
- 2.
The relativity of cultural values makes comparison difficult.
- 3.
General relativity describes how gravity bends spacetime.