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

Maritaş Denim marketing chief Gizem Yaşar said a key theme emerging from recent buyer conversations is balancing innovation and commercial relevance. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026

Davis, however, questioned the relevance of Volkheimer’s work, noting the German, who died in 2021, fed his animal subjects between 100 and 200 grams of PVC daily. — Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

The runway ghosts This shift in Halloween’s long-term relevance has been dominated by the vintage sector as gay Halloween ups the caliber of IYKYK references. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026

Algorithms reward cultural relevance while punishing sameness. — Radoslav Nedelchev, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 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