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

• 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

But the film’s cultural relevance isn’t just borne out from statistics. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 22 Aug. 2025

Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025

How a company scales influencer campaigns can determine revenue growth, cultural relevance, and the strength of its brand reputation. —C200, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Word of the project comes at a time when the erotic thriller genre has really swung back into relevance, with projects like Fair Play and Babygirl. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Aug. 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