relief

See also: Relief, reliéf, and reliëf

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈliːf/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːf

Etymology 1

From Old French relief (“assistance”), from Old French relever (“to relieve”), from Latin relevare (“to raise up, make light”). See also relieve.

Noun

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

1. 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.

2. The feeling associated with the removal of stress or discomfort.
   • 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:

     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.

3. Release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another.
4. 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. [...].

5. Aid or assistance offered in time of need.

   Relief arrived quickly after the disaster.

   • 1950 November, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Southern England”, in Railway Magazine, page 772:

     On busy days, they also may be seen bowling along the Brighton main line, north of Keymer Junction, with a relief Newhaven boat express, […] .

6. (law) Court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, a redress.
7. A lowering of a tax through special provisions; tax relief.
8. A certain fine or composition paid by the heir of a tenant upon the death of the ancestor.

Synonyms

• (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

• ancillary relief
• breathe a sigh of relief
• comic relief
• corollary relief
• debt relief
• high relief
• hydrostatic pressure relief system
• indoor relief
• judicial relief
• low relief
• outdoor relief
• out-relief
• pain relief
• poor relief
• prayer for relief
• relief agency
• relief drinking
• relief pitcher
• relief printing
• relief teacher
• relief tube
• relief valve
• relief worker
• relieve
• sigh of relief
• strain relief
• tax relief
• that's a relief

 

Translations

removal of stress or discomfort

• American Sign Language: B@Sternum-PalmDown-B@Chest-PalmDown B@Trunk-PalmDown-B@Abdomen-PalmDown
• Arabic: رَاحَة f (rāḥa), تَخْفِيف (taḵfīf)
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Belarusian: палёгка f (paljóhka), аблягчэ́нне n (abljahčénnje)
• Bulgarian: облекчение (bg) n (oblekčenie)
• Catalan: consol (ca) m, alleujament (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 解除 (zh) (jiěchú), 安心 (zh) (ānxīn), (humanitarian) 救濟／救济 (zh) (jiùjì)

• Czech: úleva (cs) f
• Danish: lettelse c
• Dutch: opluchting (nl) f
• Finnish: helpotus (fi), huojennus (fi)
• French: soulagement (fr) m, allégement (fr) m
• Galician: alivio m, acougo m
• German: Erleichterung (de) f, Entlastung (de) f
• Greek: ανακούφιση (el) f (anakoúfisi)
• Hebrew: הקלה (he) f (hakala)
• Hungarian: könnyítés (hu), enyhítés (hu), csillapítás (hu)
• Irish: faoiseamh m
• Italian: sollievo (it) m
• Japanese: 安心 (ja) (あんしん, anshin), 救済 (ja) (きゅうさい, kyūsai)
• Korean: 제고 (jego), 안심 (ko) (ansim)
• Latin: solacium n, aberrātiō f
• Maori: whakamāmātanga
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: lettelse m,(pain) lindring m or f

  Nynorsk: (pain) lindring f

• Polish: ulga (pl) f
• Portuguese: alívio (pt) m
• Quechua: allinyay
• Romanian: ușurare (ro) f, alinare (ro) f
• Russian: облегче́ние (ru) n (oblexčénije)
• Scottish Gaelic: faochadh m
• Spanish: alivio (es) m, desahogo (es) m
• Swahili: faraja (sw)
• Swedish: lättnad (sv), (from pain) lindring (sv) c
• Telugu: ఉపశమనం (te) (upaśamanaṁ)
• Ukrainian: поле́гшення n (poléhšennja)
• Welsh: gollyngdod m, rhyddhad m

feeling associated with removal of stress or discomfort

• Bulgarian: облекчение (bg) n (oblekčenie)
• Catalan: consol (ca) m
• Danish: lettelse c
• Dutch: opluchting (nl)
• Finnish: helpotus (fi)
• French: soulagement (fr) m
• German: Erleichterung (de) f
• Hungarian: megkönnyebbülés (hu)
• Italian: sollievo (it) m
• Japanese: 安心 (ja) (あんしん, anshin), 安心感 (あんしんかん, anshin kan)
• Maori: manawatau
• Swedish: lättnad (sv) c
• Ukrainian: поле́гшення n (poléhšennja)

release from a post or duty, as when replaced by another

• French: relève (fr) f
• Polish: wyręka f

person who takes over a shift

• Bulgarian: смяна (bg) f (smjana)
• Czech: zástup (cs) m
• Finnish: vapauttaja (fi)
• French: relève (fr) f
• German: Ablösung (de) f
• Hungarian: helyettesítő (hu), váltó (hu), váltótárs (hu), felváltó (hu)
• Italian: sostituto (it) m, cambio (it) m
• Japanese: 交代者 (こうたいしゃ, kōtaisha)
• Maori: rīwhi
• Polish: wyręka f
• Spanish: relevo (es) m
• Swedish: avlösare c, avlösning (sv) c

humanitarian aid or assistance

• Bulgarian: помощ (bg) f (pomošt), подпомагане (bg) n (podpomagane)
• Czech: (humanitární) pomoc f
• Finnish: hätäapu, humanitaarinen apu, apu (fi)
• German: Hilfe (de) f, Unterstützung (de) f, Beistand (de) m
• Hungarian: segély (hu)
• Italian: assistenza (it) f, soccorso (it) m, aiuto (it) m
• Japanese: 救済 (ja) (きゅうさい, kyūsai), 救援 (ja) (きゅうえん, kyūen)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: چار (çar)

• Latin: subsidium n
• Meru: gikeno
• Portuguese: auxílio (pt) m, assistência humanitária f
• Romanian: asistență umanitară f, ajutor umanitar n
• Scottish Gaelic: faochadh m
• Spanish: ayuda humanitaria f, auxilio (es) m, asistencia (es) f
• Swahili: faraja (sw)
• Swedish: nödhjälp (sv) c, bistånd (sv) n

aid or assistance offered in time of need

• Finnish: helpotus (fi), avustus (fi), apu (fi), hätäapu
• German: Nothilfe (de) f
• Hungarian: segítség (hu)
• Irish: fuascailt f
• Japanese: 救済 (ja) (きゅうさい, kyūsai), 救援 (ja) (きゅうえん, kyūen)
• Latin: subsidium n
• Maori: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: nödhjälp (sv) c, bistånd (sv) n

law: court-ordered compensation, aid, or protection, redress

• Finnish: korvaus (fi), hyvitys (fi), helpotus (fi)
• Japanese: 法的救済 (ほうてききゅうさい, hōteki kyūsai) (legal relief), 賠償 (ja) (ばいしょう, baishō) (compensation)
• Swedish: skadestånd (sv) n

reduction in tax

• Finnish: verohelpotus (fi)
• Hungarian: adókönnyítés, adóelengedés (hu)
• Italian: sgravio (it) m
• Japanese: 減税 (ja) (げんぜい, genzei)
• Swedish: skattelättnad (sv) c

composition on heir

• Latin: relevium n

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"

• Hungarian: elhárítás (hu), felszabadítás (hu), felmentés (hu), mentesítés (hu), mentesség (hu)

Etymology 2

From Italian rilievo, from rilevare (“to raise”), from Latin relevō (“to raise”).

Noun

relief (countable and uncountable, plural reliefs)

The relief of Diana at the Amalienburg, in Munich (Germany) (sense 2)

Relief with two putti and with a cartouche, above a door from Paris (sense 2)

1. (uncountable) A method of sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
2. (countable) A sculpture or other artwork made with such a method.
3. The apparent difference in elevation in the surface of a painting or drawing made noticeable by a variation in light or color.
4. 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]

5. Relative distinctness, perceived difference due to contrast.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXIV, page 41:

     And is it that the haze of grief
     ⁠Hath stretch’d my former joy so great?
     ⁠The lowness of the present state,
     That sets the past in this relief?

6. (heraldry) The supposed projection of a charge from the surface of a field, indicated by shading on the sinister and lower sides.

Synonyms

• (type of artwork): embossing
• (difference of elevations on a surface): texture, topography

Derived terms

• counter-relief
• high relief
• low relief
• mid relief
• relief map
• sunk relief

 

Translations

type of artwork

• Albanian: reliev (sq) m
• Arabic: نَقْش نَافِر m (naqš nāfir)
• Armenian: ռելյեֆ (hy) (ṙelyef), բառելյեֆ (baṙelyef)
• Belarusian: рэлье́ф m (relʹjéf), барэлье́ф m (barelʹjéf)
• Bulgarian: реле́ф (bg) m (reléf)
• Catalan: relleu (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 浮雕 (zh) (fúdiāo)

• Czech: reliéf (cs) m
• Danish: relief c
• Dutch: reliëf (nl) n
• Esperanto: reliefo
• Estonian: reljeef, bareljeef
• Finnish: reliefi (fi), korkokuva (fi), kohokuva (fi)
• French: relief (fr) m
• Georgian: რელიეფი (reliepi)
• German: Relief (de) n
• Greek: ανάγλυφο (el) n (anáglyfo)

  Ancient Greek: ἐκτύπωμα n (ektúpōma)

• Hebrew: תבליט (he) (tavlit)
• Hungarian: relief (hu), dombormű (hu)
• Icelandic: lágmynd f
• Indonesian: relief (id)
• Irish: rilíf f
• Italian: rilievo (it) m, bassorilievo (it) m
• Japanese: 浮き彫り (ja) (うきぼり, ukibori), リリーフ (rirīfu), レリーフ (rerīfu)
• Khmer: ចម្លាក់លៀន (jom lakk lean), ចម្លាក់ផុស (jom lakk phos)
• Korean: 부조 (ko) (bujo)
• Latvian: reljefs (lv) m, cilnis m
• Lithuanian: reljefas (lt) m
• Macedonian: релјеф m (reljef)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: relieff n

  Nynorsk: relieff n

• Polish: relief (pl) m
• Portuguese: relevo (pt) m
• Romanian: relief (ro) n, basorelief (ro) n, altorelief (ro) n
• Russian: релье́ф (ru) m (relʹjéf), барелье́ф (ru) m (barelʹjéf)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: рељеф m

  Roman: reljef (sh) m

• Slovak: reliéf m
• Slovene: relief (sl) m
• Spanish: relieve (es) m
• Swedish: relief (sv) c
• Turkish: kabartma (tr), rölyef (tr)
• Ukrainian: барельє́ф (uk) m (barelʹjéf), рельє́ф m (relʹjéf)
• Vietnamese: рhù điêu
• Welsh: cerfwedd f

apparent difference in elevation

• Bulgarian: релефност (bg) f (relefnost), изпъкналост (bg) f (izpǎknalost)
• Catalan: relleu (ca) m
• Finnish: syvyysvaikutelma
• French: relief (fr) m
• Hungarian: kontraszt (hu), mélység (hu)
• Japanese: 浮彫的効果 (うきぼりてきこうか, ukiboriteki kōka) (an effect like relief carving), 立体画法 (りったいがほう, rittai gahō) (a 3-D drawing or painting technique)

difference of elevations on a surface

• Belarusian: рэлье́ф m (relʹjéf)
• Bulgarian: релеф (bg) m (relef)
• Catalan: relleu (ca) m
• Czech: reliéf (cs) m
• Dutch: reliëf (nl) n
• Finnish: pinnanmuoto, korkeusero, reliefi (fi)
• French: relief (fr) m
• German: Relief (de) n
• Greek: ανάγλυφο (el) (anáglyfo)
• Hebrew: תבלוטת / תִּבְלֹטֶת (tivlotet), תבליט (he) (tɑvlit)
• Hungarian: domborzat (hu), domborulat (hu), kiemelkedés (hu)
• Italian: rilievo (it) m, sopraelevazione (it) f
• Japanese: 起伏 (ja) (きふく, kifuku) (rises and dips), 高低 (ja) (こうてい, kōtei) (highs and lows)
• Latvian: reljefs (lv) m
• Macedonian: релјеф m (reljef)
• Malay: bentuk bumi
• Maori: āhua matawhenua
• Portuguese: relevo (pt) m
• Romanian: relief (ro) n
• Russian: релье́ф (ru) m (relʹjéf)
• Serbo-Croatian: reljef (sh) m
• Spanish: relieve (es) m
• Swedish: relief (sv) c
• Ukrainian: рельє́ф m (relʹjéf)

Adjective

relief (comparative more relief, superlative most relief)

1. (of a surface) Characterized by surface inequalities.
2. Of or used in letterpress.

Anagrams

• refile, e-filer, relfie, Leifer, relife, liefer, Feiler

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from French relief

Noun

relief n (singular definite relieffet, plural indefinite relieffer)

1. relief (work of art)

Inflection

Declension of relief

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	relief	relieffet	relieffer	reliefferne
genitive	reliefs	relieffets	relieffers	relieffernes

References

• “relief” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French, from relever.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.ljɛf/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

relief m (plural reliefs)

1. projection, relief
2. (geography, mineralogy) relief, surface elevation
3. (figuratively) contrast, definition, offset (against something else)

   (mettre en relief) Make evident; give emphasis (to something), make stand out, highlight.

4. (sculpture) relief

Derived terms

• bas-relief
• haut-relief

Descendants

• → Bulgarian: реле́ф (reléf)
• → Danish: relief
• → Polish: relief
• → Romanian: relief
• → Russian: рельеф (relʹjef)
• → Swedish: relief
• → Turkish: rölyef

Further reading

• “relief”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Polish

relief

Etymology

Borrowed from French relief.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɛl.jɛf/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛljɛf
• Syllabification: rel‧ief

Noun

relief m inan (related adjective reliefowy)

1. (sculpture) relief (sculpture or other artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat backgroung)

   Synonym: płaskorzeźba

2. (geology) relief, landform, terrain (area of land or the particular features of it)

   Synonym: rzeźba terenu

Declension

Declension of relief

	singular	plural
nominative	relief	reliefy
genitive	reliefu	reliefów
dative	reliefowi	reliefom
accusative	relief	reliefy
instrumental	reliefem	reliefami
locative	reliefie	reliefach
vocative	reliefie	reliefy

Related terms

adverbs

• reliefowo

 

Further reading

• relief in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• relief in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• relief in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French relief.

Noun

relief n (plural reliefuri)

1. relief (difference of elevations on the Earth's surface)

Related terms

• reliefa
• reliefare
• reliefat

Swedish

Noun

relief c

1. a relief (type of artwork)

Declension

Declension of relief
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	relief	reliefen	reliefer	relieferna
Genitive	reliefs	reliefens	reliefers	reliefernas

Derived terms

• reliefkarta (“relief map”)

References

• relief in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• relief in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• relief in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)