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relativieren

to put in perspective; to relativise

verb re-la-ti-VEE-ren Rare
Communication Expressions

Origin: from Latin relativus

Also means

to tone down; to qualify

Usage Note

Relativieren means to contextualise or soften the weight of a statement: Das sollte man nicht zu sehr relativieren ('One shouldn't water that down too much'). It is common in media discussions and political debate. When used pejoratively, it implies someone is downplaying something important.

Examples

"Man kann das Ergebnis zwar relativieren, doch die Tendenz ist klar."

Natural Translation

One can put the result in perspective, but the trend is clear.

Literal Translation

One can the result indeed relativise, yet the trend is clear.

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