from answers.com: relative distance: (navigation) Distance relative to a specified reference point, usually one in motion. don't know about absolute distance. are you sure this is a geographical concept? he he. i know relative location and absolute location were covered when i took geogrpay courses.
Absolute distance is to describe a distance using distance units such as meter, mile, yard, etc. Using other units would make it relative distance. For example, two-minute walk.