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verb

relativiser

put into perspective

Definition & meaning

The verb relativiser means to place an event, a situation, or a problem in its proper context by comparing it to others, thereby reducing its apparent importance or severity. It is the act of looking at things from a broader perspective to realize that a situation is not as catastrophic or significant as it first seemed.

  • Common usage: It is often used in the phrase "il faut relativiser" (one must keep things in perspective) when someone is overly worried or distressed about a minor issue.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Grammar: It is a regular transitive verb ending in "-er" (first group). It can be used transitively (e.g., "relativiser ses problèmes") or intransitively (e.g., "il faut apprendre à relativiser").
  • Origin: The word is derived from the adjective "relatif" , which comes from the Latin relativus. The suffix "-iser" is added to form a verb denoting the act of making something relative.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • Nuancer : To add nuance or qualify a statement to make it less absolute.
  • Tempérer : To moderate or soften the intensity of a situation.
  • Modérer : To reduce the excess or intensity of something.
  • Mettre en perspective [?](vocabuo://word/mettre en perspective): A locution meaning to compare a situation with others to understand its true scale.

Antonyms:

  • Exagérer : To represent something as being larger, better, or worse than it really is.
  • Dramatiser : To make a situation seem more serious, grave, or tragic than it actually is.
  • Absolutiser : To treat something as absolute or isolated from any context.

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Examples

As-tu enfin appris à relativiser tes échecs ?verb

Have you finally learned to put your failures into perspective?

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