in-law vs relation

in-law and relation both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
in-law	Yes	No	No	No
relation	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, relation is a hypernym of in-law; that is, relation is a word with a broader meaning than in-law:

Other hypernyms of in-law include relative.

in-law (noun)	relation (noun)
a relative by marriage	an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together
	(usually plural) mutual dealings or connections among persons or groups
	sexual activity between individuals, especially the insertion of a man's penis into a woman's vagina until orgasm and ejaculation occur
	(law) the principle that an act done at a later time is deemed by law to have occurred at an earlier time
	an act of narration
	a person related by blood or marriage