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

Gap is working to find relevance among a new generation of shoppers. —Gabrielle Fonrouge,natalie Rice, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025

Comparative research has shown that the speed at which a monitoring mission starts its work can affect its relevance. —Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025

That’s of particular relevance to Bournemouth, who shed a wealth of first-teamers for around £200million in the summer. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025

Mangione's attorneys objected to the relevance of the witness. —Renee Anderson, CBS News, 1 Dec. 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