Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

on relief

 - 6 dictionary results
AT&T™ Official Site
Phone, Internet, & TV or Wireless for Under $100 /month with AT&T.
att.com

re⋅lief

1  [ri-leef]
Use on relief in a Sentence
–noun
1. alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress, oppression, etc.
2. a means or thing that relieves pain, distress, anxiety, etc.
3. money, food, or other help given to those in poverty or need.
4. something affording a pleasing change, as from monotony.
5. release from a post of duty, as by the arrival of a substitute or replacement.
6. the person or persons acting as replacement.
7. the rescue of a besieged town, fort, etc., from an attacking force.
8. the freeing of a closed space, as a tank or boiler, from more than a desirable amount of pressure or vacuum.
9. Feudal Law. a fine or composition which the heir of a feudal tenant paid to the lord for the privilege of succeeding to the estate.
10. Literature.
a. a distinct or abrupt change in mood, scene, action, etc., resulting in a reduction of intensity, as in a play or novel.
b. comic relief.
—Idiom
11. on relief, receiving financial assistance from a municipal, state, or federal government because of poverty or need.
Origin:
1300–50; ME relef < OF relief, deriv. of relever to raise; see relieve

Related forms:
re⋅lief⋅less, adjective

Synonyms:
1. mitigation, assuagement, comfort. 3. succor, aid, redress, remedy.

Antonyms:
1. intensification.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To on relief
AT&T™ Official Site
Phone, Internet, & TV or Wireless for Under $100 /month with AT&T.
att.com
re·lief   (rĭ-lēf')   
n.  

  1. The easing of a burden or distress, such as pain, anxiety, or oppression.

  2. Something that alleviates pain or distress.

    1. Public assistance.

    2. Aid in time of danger, especially rescue from siege.

    3. Release from a post or duty, as that of sentinel.

    4. One who releases another by taking over a post or duty.

    5. The projection of figures or forms from a flat background, as in sculpture, or the apparent projection of such shapes in a painting or drawing.

    6. A work of art featuring such projection. Also called relievo.

    1. Release from a post or duty, as that of sentinel.

    2. One who releases another by taking over a post or duty.

    3. The projection of figures or forms from a flat background, as in sculpture, or the apparent projection of such shapes in a painting or drawing.

    4. A work of art featuring such projection. Also called relievo.

  5. A pleasant or amusing change; a diversion.

    1. The projection of figures or forms from a flat background, as in sculpture, or the apparent projection of such shapes in a painting or drawing.

    2. A work of art featuring such projection. Also called relievo.

  7. Geology The variations in elevation of an area of the earth's surface.

  8. Distinction or prominence due to contrast: "The light brought the white church . . . into relief from the flat ledges" (Willa Cather).

  9. Law Redress awarded by a court.

  10. Baseball The pitching done by a relief pitcher: gave the team two innings of excellent relief.

  11. A payment made by the heir of a deceased tenant to a feudal lord for the privilege of succeeding to the tenant's estate.


[Middle English, from Old French, from relever, to relieve; see relieve. Senses 6, 7, and 8, French, from Italian rilievo; see bas-relief.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

relief  (2)
"projection of figure or design from a flat surface," 1606, from It. rilievo, from rilevare "to raise," from L. relevare "to raise, lighten" (see relieve).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: re·lief
Function: noun
: redress, assistance, or protection given by law esp. from a court relief the plaintiff seeks>: as a : release from obligation or duty <relief from judgment> b : an order from a court granting a particular remedy (as return of property) relief> relief> —see also REMEDY
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: re·lief
Pronunciation: ri-'lEf
Function: noun
: removal or lightening of something oppressive or distressing <relief of pain>relief of glaucoma>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

on relief

Also, on welfare; on the dole. Receiving public financial assistance, as in Half the people in this town are on relief, or Don hated the idea of going on welfare. The first two terms originated in the United States in the 1930s, when government assistance of this kind was first instituted. On the dole, used mainly in Britain but occasionally in America, dates from the 1920s, although the use of dole for a charitable gift dates from about 1200.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see on relief on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way