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 of relevance

• 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

Connecting teams to the distinctive identities of their cities can strengthen fan engagement and deepen local relevance. —Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 21 Mar. 2026

Gonzaga’s transformation into a perennial top-10 team brought relevance and revenue to the rest of the conference that won’t easily, or quickly, be replaced. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026

The use of private screening remains relatively limited, but Bubb said the model is gaining relevance as this marks the second partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security in about five months. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026

Even the song choice reads like a grasp at relevance — that a pop song from a decade ago is the go-to choice versus, say, a karaoke classic. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

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