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

Start preparing your taxes with these options Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. —Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 27 Nov. 2025

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said the document stresses the relevance of Nicaea’s teachings for Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants today. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025

Since then, a quiet but determined movement has begun to pull the material back into relevance, especially in outerwear and men’s. —Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025

The first group will desperately fight for relevance against AI tools that are faster, cheaper, and tireless. —Big Think, 26 Nov. 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