irrelevance

noun

ir·​rel·​e·​vance i-ˈre-lə-vən(t)s 

1

: the quality or state of being irrelevant

2

: something irrelevant

Synonyms

• inapplicability
• emptiness
• insignificance

Examples of irrelevance in a Sentence

the irrelevance of the comment brought conversation to a standstill

Recent Examples on the Web

Since the election, Reform has tried to refashion itself from a protest vote party to one that could govern – untried and inexperienced, but ready to step in if the Labour Party buckles under its own blunders, and the once-mighty Conservatives drift further into political irrelevance. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025

Oversight today occupies a space of liminality — the threshold between legitimacy and irrelevance, between promise and abandonment. —Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025

Narcissists need to feel important, Potthoff says—and these three words feed their fear of irrelevance. —Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Sep. 2025

The case for Fed irrelevance says that the credit market is mainly run by the shadow banking system. —Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for irrelevance

• relevance

Legal Definition

irrelevance

noun

ir·​rel·​e·​vance ir-ˈre-lə-vəns 

1

: the quality or state of being irrelevant

2

: something that is irrelevant