relevance

noun

rel·​e·​vance ˈre-lə-vən(t)s 

1

a

: relation to the matter at hand

b

: practical and especially social applicability : pertinence

giving relevance to college courses

2

: the ability (as of an information retrieval system) to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user

Synonyms

• relevancy

Examples of relevance in a Sentence

I appreciate that you did the dishes tonight, but that has no relevance to my enforcement of the punishment you got earlier this week.

Recent Examples on the Web

And finally, Payton Titus' look back 50 years later at Muhammad Ali's iconic fight in the Thrilla in Manila, and its relevance in 2025, is worth your time. —Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025

Increasingly, this question is a relic of the past, with little relevance to the present. —Tim Britton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025

The company may still boast one of Silicon Valley’s most storied names, but its staff, which numbered 96,000 as of the end of July, had worked for years through nearly uninterrupted decline, watching their company lose nearly all relevance. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for relevance

• irrelevance

Kids Definition

relevance

noun

rel·​e·​vance ˈrel-ə-vən(t)s 

: relation to the matter at hand : pertinence

Legal Definition

relevance

noun

rel·​e·​vance ˈre-lə-vəns 

: the quality or state of being relevant : relation to the matter at hand

ruled on the relevance of the testimony

relevance in discovery has been broadly interpreted