Meaning & use
pertinent
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Directly connected to the subject being discussed, and therefore worth considering.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be, often followed by to: a pertinent question; it is pertinent to the case.
Patterns
- pertinent to something
She asked a pertinent question about the cost.
Please include only information pertinent to the case.
His comments were not pertinent to the discussion.
Word forms
| comparative | more pertinent |
|---|---|
| superlative | most pertinent |
Common combinations
- pertinent question
- That is a pertinent question.
- pertinent information
- The report omits pertinent information.
- pertinent to
- The facts are pertinent to our decision.
- pertinent point
- He raised a pertinent point about safety.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relevant
- The everyday word; pertinent is a little more formal and exact.
- applicable
- Means that a rule or fact can be applied to a case.
- germane
- More formal and literary, suggesting a close fit.
Opposites
Word family
- pertinence noun
- the quality of being relevant
- pertinently adverb
- in a relevant way
Commonly confused: pertinent or pertinacious?
pertinent vs pertinacious
Pertinacious means stubbornly persistent; it is unrelated in meaning.
Practice
The lawyer asked only questions that were ___ to the case.
Choose one answer.
Pertinent to means directly relevant to. Personal could be used but would not mean relevant, and perfect does not take to.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pertinent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.