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

• applicability
• bearing
• connection
• materiality
• pertinence
• 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

The concept took off quite quickly, boosted by the timely relevance of Covid in 2020. —Clara Ludmir, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

The cultural relevance of games means that these opportunities are multiplying. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025

Of greater relevance for our purposes may be his relatively scarce international involvement since committing to the USMNT in 2022, having previously represented Germany at all major youth levels. —Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 19 May 2025

The relevance of other proposals in Voight’s package felt less obvious, including a push to restore a now-defunct set of TV-broadcasting regulations. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 May 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