Meaning & use
not germane
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
Not connected with or relevant to the subject being discussed.
Grammar: Usually followed by 'to' plus a noun: not germane to the case. It describes a thing, not a person.
Patterns
- not germane to something
The judge said the witness's personal opinion was not germane to the case.
His comments about the weather were not germane to the budget debate.
That question is interesting but not germane to our topic today.
Common combinations
- not germane to the issue
- The lawyer argued that the old emails were not germane to the issue.
- not germane to the discussion
- Please stay on topic; that point is not germane to the discussion.
- not germane to the case
- The evidence was ruled not germane to the case.
Synonyms and how they differ
- irrelevant
- More common and less formal; it means the same but can sound blunt.
- off-topic
- Informal and used mostly in meetings or classrooms.
- beside the point
- An idiom meaning not connected to the main subject; it doesn't take 'to'.
Opposites
Word family
- germane adjective
- Relevant and appropriate; the positive form.
- germanely adverb
- In a relevant manner; very rare.
Commonly confused: not germane or German?
not germane vs German
Sounds similar but means 'from Germany'. 'Germane' means relevant.
Practice
The evidence was ruled ___ the trial because it concerned another person.
Choose one answer.
'Germane' is always followed by 'to' when naming the subject: germane to the trial. The other prepositions do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “not germane”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.