Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Relationship?Basic Types of RelationshipsDefining Types of Relationships in Your LifeKeeping Your Relationships Healthy

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is a Relationship?

Basic Types of Relationships

Defining Types of Relationships in Your Life

Keeping Your Relationships Healthy

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You’ll have many different types of relationships throughout your life. Most tend to be categorized as acquaintances, friends, family, romantic partners, sexual partners, work colleagues, or situational relationships. Each type comes with different expectations, benefits, and challenges.

Interpersonal relationshipsare a vital part of life. They can range from close and intimate to distant and challenging. No matter the nature of the relationship, different types of relationships help form the social support network that is pivotal for physical and mental well-being.

At a GlanceWe make all kinds of connections with other people over the course of our lives. Some of these are positive relationships that help us feel a sense of belonging. Others can be less helpful, or may even have negative effects on our mental health and well-being. To better understand and discuss these relationships accurately, it can be helpful to learn more about the different types of relationships a person can have.

At a Glance

We make all kinds of connections with other people over the course of our lives. Some of these are positive relationships that help us feel a sense of belonging. Others can be less helpful, or may even have negative effects on our mental health and well-being. To better understand and discuss these relationships accurately, it can be helpful to learn more about the different types of relationships a person can have.

A relationship is any connection between two people, which can be either positive or negative.

You can have a relationship with a wide range of people, including family and friends. The phrase “being in a relationship,” while often linked with romantic relationships, can refer to various associations one person has with another.

To “be in a relationship” doesn’t always mean there is physical intimacy, emotional attachment, and/or commitment involved. People engage in many different types of relationships that have unique characteristics.

Relationships typically fall into one of several different categories (although these can sometimes overlap):

These different forms of relationships can vary greatly in terms of closeness, and there are also different subtypes of relationships within each of these basic types. Some of the different kinds of relationships that you might experience at some point in your life include the following.

While there are many different types of relationships, the four main types are typically identified as family relationships, romantic relationships, friendships, and acquaintanceships.

Platonic Relationships

Platonic relationships can occur in a wide range of settings and can involve same-sex or opposite-sex friendships. You might form a platonic relationship with a classmate or co-worker, or you might make a connection with a person in another setting such as a club, athletic activity, or volunteer organization you are involved in.

This type of relationship can play an essential role in providing social support, which is essential for your health and well-being. Research suggests that platonic friendships can help reduce your risk for disease, lower your risk for depression or anxiety, and boost your immunity.

Platonic relationships involve closeness and friendship without sex. Sometimes, platonic relationships can change over time and shift into romantic or sexual relationships. Examples might include a friends-with-benefits or a friends-to-lovers situation.

Romantic Relationships

Experts have come up with a variety of different ways to describe how people experience and express love. For example, psychologist Robert Sternberg suggests three main components of love: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment. Romantic love, he explains, is a combination of passion and intimacy.

Romantic relationships tend to change over time. At the start of a relationship when people are firstfalling in love, people typically experience stronger feelings of passion. During this initial infatuation period, the brain releases specificneurotransmitters(dopamine,oxytocin, andserotonin) that cause people to feel euphoric and “in love.”

Over time, these feelings start to lessen in their intensity. People develop deeper levels of emotional intimacy and understanding as the relationship matures.

Romantic relationships often burn hot at the beginning. That’s why we often feel like we can’t stop thinking about the object of our affection and want to be near them all the time. While the initial feelings of passion usually lessen in strength over time, feelings of trust, emotional intimacy, and commitment grow stronger.

What Does It Mean to Be in an Exclusive Relationship?

Codependent Relationships

Acodependent relationshipis an imbalanced, dysfunctional type of relationship in which a partner has an emotional, physical, or mental reliance on the other person.

It is also common for both partners to be mutually co-dependent on each other. Both may take turns enacting the caretaker role, alternating between the caretaker and the receiver of care.

Characteristics of acodependentrelationship include:

Not all codependent relationships are the same, however. They can vary in terms of severity.Codependencycan impact all different types of relationships including relationships between romantic partners, parents and children, friendship, other family members, and evencoworkers.

Codependent relationships are co-constructed. While one partner might seem more “needy,” the other partner might feel more comfortablebeingneeded.

Effects of Conflict and Stress on Relationships

Casual Relationships

Casual relationshipsoften involve dating relationships that may include sex without expectations of monogamy or commitment. However, experts suggest that the term is vague and can mean different things to different people.

According to the authors of one study published in theCanadian Journal of Human Sexuality, casual relationships can encompass situations such as:

Such relationships often exist on a continuum that varies in the levels of frequency of contact, type of contact, amount of personal disclosure, discussion of the relationship, and degree of friendship. The study found that people with more sexual experience were better able to identify the definitions of these labels compared to people with less sexual experience.

Casual relationships tend to be more common among younger adults, but people of any age can engage in this type of relationship. Consent and communication are key.

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Open Relationships

Anopen relationshipis a type ofconsensually non-monogamous relationshipin which one or more partners have sex or relationships with other people. Both people agree to have sex with other people in an open relationship but may have certain conditions or limitations.

Open relationships can take place in any type of romantic relationship, whether casual, dating, or married.

There tends to be astigmasurrounding non-monogamous relationships. Still, research suggests that around 21% to 22% of adults will be involved in some type of open relationship at some point in their life.

The likelihood of engaging in an open relationship also depends on gender and sexual orientation. Men reported having higher numbers of open relationships compared to women; people who identify as gay, lesbian, and bisexual were more likely to report previous engagement in open relationships compared to those who identify as heterosexual.

Such relationships can have benefits, including increased sexual freedom, and pitfalls, such as jealousy and emotional pain. Open relationships are more successful when couples establish personal, emotional, and sexual boundaries and clearly communicate their feelings and needs.

Open relationships are a form of consensual non-monogamy. While there is a primary emotional and often physical connection between the two people in the relationship, they mutually agree to intimacy with other people outside of the relationship.

How Long-Distance Relationships Affect Your Mental Health

Toxic Relationships

Atoxic relationshipis any type of interpersonal relationship where your emotional, physical, or psychological well-being is undermined or threatened in some way. Such relationships often leave you feeling ashamed, humiliated, misunderstood, or unsupported.

Any type of relationship can be toxic, including friendships, family relationships, romantic relationships, orworkplace relationships.

Signs of Toxic Types of Relationships

Sometimes all people in a relationship play a role in creating this toxicity. For example, you may be contributing to toxicity if you are all consistently unkind, critical, insecure, and negative.

In other cases, one person in a relationship may behave in ways that create toxic feelings. This may be intentional, but in other cases, people may not fully understand how they are affecting other people. Because of their past experiences with relationships, often in their home growing up, they may not know any other way of acting and communicating.

This doesn’t just create discontentment—toxic relationships can take a serious toll on your health.

Toxic relationships can be stressful, harmful, and even abusive. If you are in a toxic relationship with someone in your life, work on creatingstrong boundariesto protect yourself. Talk to a mental health professional or consider terminating the relationship if it is causing you harm.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

How you define your relationship depends on various factors, including what matters to you and how the other person feels. To define your relationship, it can be helpful to ask a few questions:

Figuring out what matters to you and your partner is an important step in defining the type of relationships you are interested in having. You might find that you are both on the same page or discover that you want different things out of your relationship.

Defining your relationship doesn’t have to mean committing for the long term. Instead, it can be a way to help you both better understand the boundaries and expectations of your relationship.

How to Keep Different Types of Relationships Healthy

Regardless of how you define your relationship, there are important steps you can take to ensure that your connection is healthy. Strategies that can help include:

How to Leave a Toxic Relationship in 6 Steps

Takeaways

You can take steps to improve your relationships with other people. Two helpful strategies are to let others know you care and show your appreciation.

But if a relationship is causing stress or shows signs of being toxic, look for ways to establish clear boundaries, talk to a therapist, or even consider ending the relationship if it is taking too much of a toll on your well-being.

Social relationships are important, and they come in all different types. Having a variety of relationships with different people can ensure that you have the support and connections you need, minimize your risk oflonelinessandsocial isolation, and improve your emotional health and well-being.

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7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Friends wanted.Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yWentland JJ, Reissing ED.Casual sexual relationships: Identifying definitions for one night stands, booty calls, f— buddies, and friends with benefits.Can J Hum Sex.2014;23(3):167-177. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2744Rodrigue C, Fernet M.A metasynthesis of qualitative studies on casual sexual relationships and experiences.Can J Hum Sex. 2016;25(3):225-242. doi:10.3138/cjhs.253-a6Haupert ML, Gesselman AN, Moors AC, Fisher HE, Garcia JR.Prevalence of experiences with consensual nonmonogamous relationships: Findings from two national samples of single Americans.J Sex Marital Ther. 2017;43(5):424-440. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2016.1178675Birditt KS, Newton NJ, Cranford JA, Ryan LH.Stress and negative relationship quality among older couples: Implications for blood pressure.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016;71(5):775-85. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbv023Lavner JA, Bradbury TN.Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?.J Fam Psychol. 2012;26(1):1-10. doi:10.1037/a00259

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Friends wanted.Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yWentland JJ, Reissing ED.Casual sexual relationships: Identifying definitions for one night stands, booty calls, f— buddies, and friends with benefits.Can J Hum Sex.2014;23(3):167-177. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2744Rodrigue C, Fernet M.A metasynthesis of qualitative studies on casual sexual relationships and experiences.Can J Hum Sex. 2016;25(3):225-242. doi:10.3138/cjhs.253-a6Haupert ML, Gesselman AN, Moors AC, Fisher HE, Garcia JR.Prevalence of experiences with consensual nonmonogamous relationships: Findings from two national samples of single Americans.J Sex Marital Ther. 2017;43(5):424-440. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2016.1178675Birditt KS, Newton NJ, Cranford JA, Ryan LH.Stress and negative relationship quality among older couples: Implications for blood pressure.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016;71(5):775-85. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbv023Lavner JA, Bradbury TN.Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?.J Fam Psychol. 2012;26(1):1-10. doi:10.1037/a00259

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Friends wanted.Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-yWentland JJ, Reissing ED.Casual sexual relationships: Identifying definitions for one night stands, booty calls, f— buddies, and friends with benefits.Can J Hum Sex.2014;23(3):167-177. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2744Rodrigue C, Fernet M.A metasynthesis of qualitative studies on casual sexual relationships and experiences.Can J Hum Sex. 2016;25(3):225-242. doi:10.3138/cjhs.253-a6Haupert ML, Gesselman AN, Moors AC, Fisher HE, Garcia JR.Prevalence of experiences with consensual nonmonogamous relationships: Findings from two national samples of single Americans.J Sex Marital Ther. 2017;43(5):424-440. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2016.1178675Birditt KS, Newton NJ, Cranford JA, Ryan LH.Stress and negative relationship quality among older couples: Implications for blood pressure.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016;71(5):775-85. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbv023Lavner JA, Bradbury TN.Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?.J Fam Psychol. 2012;26(1):1-10. doi:10.1037/a00259

American Psychological Association.Friends wanted.

Gawda B.The structure of the concepts related to love spectrum: emotional verbal fluency technique application, initial psychometrics, and its validation.J Psycholinguist Res. 2019;48(6):1339-1361. doi:10.1007/s10936-019-09661-y

Wentland JJ, Reissing ED.Casual sexual relationships: Identifying definitions for one night stands, booty calls, f— buddies, and friends with benefits.Can J Hum Sex.2014;23(3):167-177. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2744

Rodrigue C, Fernet M.A metasynthesis of qualitative studies on casual sexual relationships and experiences.Can J Hum Sex. 2016;25(3):225-242. doi:10.3138/cjhs.253-a6

Haupert ML, Gesselman AN, Moors AC, Fisher HE, Garcia JR.Prevalence of experiences with consensual nonmonogamous relationships: Findings from two national samples of single Americans.J Sex Marital Ther. 2017;43(5):424-440. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2016.1178675

Birditt KS, Newton NJ, Cranford JA, Ryan LH.Stress and negative relationship quality among older couples: Implications for blood pressure.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016;71(5):775-85. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbv023

Lavner JA, Bradbury TN.Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?.J Fam Psychol. 2012;26(1):1-10. doi:10.1037/a00259

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