relevant

rel·e·vant

adjective \ˈre-lə-vənt\

Definition of RELEVANT

1

a : having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand

b : affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion <relevant testimony>

c : having social relevance

2

: proportional, relative

— rel·e·vant·ly adverb

Examples of RELEVANT

1. The ideas and observations expressed in the book are still relevant today.
2. <make sure your comments during the interview are short and relevant>
3. … the sport [men's tennis] is so invisible to the American fan that it's in danger of becoming as relevant as—gasp—soccer —Mike Freeman, NewYork Times, 1 Sept. 2002
4. Mendelian genetics is no more relevant to understanding heredity in the real world than Euclidean geometry is to understanding the shape of an oak tree. —Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
5. But it is much less relevant when the question becomes, as it should, “What, then, must we do with and for the one third or so of black America that seems to be permanently alienated from the structures of opportunity in this society?” —Glenn C. Loury, Atlantic, November 1997
6. The smallest distance that is relevant to measurement today is something like 10-17 centimeters, which is how far a thing called the Z0 (see zero) can travel before it departs our world. —Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993

Origin of RELEVANT

Medieval Latin relevant-, relevans, from Latin, present participle of relevare to raise up — more at relieve

First Known Use: 1560

Related to RELEVANT

Synonyms

applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, material, pointed, relative, pertinent

Antonyms

extraneous, immaterial, impertinent, inapplicable, inapposite, irrelative, irrelevant, pointless

Related Words

appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, suitable; important, meaningful, significant; sensible, useful; admissible, allowable

Near Antonyms

frivolous, inconsequential, insignificant, little, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; meaningless, purposeless, senseless, useless; inappropriate, inapt, unsuitable; inadmissible

Synonym Discussion of RELEVANT

relevant, germane, material, pertinent, apposite, applicable, apropos mean relating to or bearing upon the matter in hand. relevant implies a traceable, significant, logical connection <found material relevant to her case>. germane may additionally imply a fitness for or appropriateness to the situation or occasion <a point not germane to the discussion>. material implies so close a relationship that it cannot be dispensed with without serious alteration of the case <facts material to the investigation>. pertinent stresses a clear and decisive relevance <a pertinent observation>. apposite suggests a felicitous relevance <add an apposite quotation to the definition>. applicable suggests the fitness of bringing a general rule or principle to bear upon a particular case <the rule is not applicable in this case>. apropos suggests being both relevant and opportune <the quip was apropos>.