The world of dating can be summed up in one word: complicated. The word "dating" itself is complex; it's not black and white. Dating is composed of many shades of grey that seem to appear right when you think you have it all figured out.

For years now, I have been debating this very question with friends, colleagues, family members and even strangers from bars: "How do you define your relationship with someone?" Are you dating? Are you seeing each other? Is it an open relationship or is it friends with benefits? The endless questions and possibilities can take over our thoughts and consume us, but with a basic understanding of relationship types, we might be able to breathe a little. Here are some basic characteristics of the most confusing relationship types.

First, the most common question I hear is "What's the difference between FWB and an open relationship?" The easiest way to explain a FWB relationship is that you are not dating. You and your friend are not a couple; you don't go out on dates or hold hands in public. There is no romance; it's just physical.

In an open relationship, you have the titles of boyfriend or girlfriend, but you aren't exclusive. I know you may think this might be bizarre, but some people just don't believe in monogamous relationships, so they are more likely to consider or have an open relationship.

The two relationship terms that many people, myself included, have a hard time separating are "dating" and "seeing each other." When you are dating someone, it implies that you are going on multiple dates with that person, and I am talking about real dates, like going to a movie or dinner, not hanging out at your house watching re-runs of The Simpsons. At this point, you are trying to decide how you feel about the person and if you are considering moving toward a serious relationship.

When you are seeing someone, you usually have been with them for a while but have no titles. This could be because neither of you wants the commitment of a relationship right now. You don't necessarily go on dates all the time, you can just hang out and enjoy each other's company until you both decide what it is you want from that relationship, if you want to move forward or leave things the way they are.

Now for my favourite type of relationship: casual dating. Most of the time this means you are seeing other people at the same time, trying to see who you like before you think about anything serious. This is usually shortlived, since after a few dates you can tell if you like a person or not. The reason this is my favourite type of relationship is it gives you the freedom to explore different options without committing to anything. It's like buying a car. You don't just test drive one car and buy it — that is an irresponsible decision — so why should dating be any different? I would say test drive as many cars as you want to make sure the one that you want is a good fit.

Although I have listed some differences between the various terms used to classify our relationships, we need to realize there is no perfect definition that will solve all our problems. Sometimes we can't define our relationships and once we give up on that hopeless search and stop obsessing over it, we can just enjoy what we have at that moment.