Relief can have different meanings depending on the context. Here are some of the most common definitions:

• Feeling of happiness or removal of something unpleasant: Relief can refer to a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended. For example, "I felt such a sense of relief after I finished my thesis".

• Assistance or aid: Relief can also refer to assistance or aid given to people in need. For example, "Countries from around the world have been sending relief to the flood victims".

• Sculptural method: Relief can also refer to a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term relief is from the Latin verb relevo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane. When a relief is carved into a flat surface of stone (relief sculpture) or wood (relief carving), the field is actually lowered, leaving the unsculpted areas seeming higher.

• Pitching in baseball: In baseball, relief refers to the pitching done by a relief pitcher.

• Surface inequalities: Relief can also refer to the elevations or inequalities of a land surface.

• Letterpress: In letterpress, relief refers to the type of printing where the inked image is higher than the non-printing areas.

• Tax relief: Relief can also refer to tax relief, which is a reduction in the amount of tax that a person or company has to pay.

• Replacement or substitution: Relief can also refer to a person who replaces or relieves another at some task or duty.

In summary, relief can refer to a feeling of happiness or removal of something unpleasant, assistance or aid, a sculptural method, pitching in baseball, surface inequalities, letterpress, tax relief, or replacement or substitution.