To determine the relationship between $-1$ and $|-1|$, simplify the absolute value expression on the right side. The absolute value of $-1$ corresponds to its distance from zero, which is $1$ ($|-1| = 1$). After simplification, the comparison is directly between the negative integer $-1$ and the positive integer $1$. Since any negative number is always positioned to the left of a positive number on the number line, $-1 < 1$. Consequently, the complete statement is $-1 < |-1|$. This exercise reinforces the principle that a negative number is always strictly smaller than the absolute value of any non-zero integer.