Meaning & use
relevant
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Closely connected to the topic, question, decision, or purpose currently being considered.
Grammar: Often takes very or highly; the usual preposition is to: relevant to the case.
Patterns
- relevant to something
- highly relevant
- relevant information
Please include only experience relevant to the job.
Her point was relevant even though it changed the subject briefly.
The lawyer asked for all relevant documents.
adjectivecomparable
Still having importance or usefulness for present conditions or debates.
Grammar: Common in the pattern remain relevant; can be modified by still or today.
Patterns
- remain relevant
- still relevant today
- relevant to modern life
The old essay remains relevant today.
A basic budget stays relevant in every economy.
The debate feels relevant to modern readers.
Word forms
| comparative | more relevant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most relevant |
Common combinations
- relevant information
- The form asks only for relevant information.
- directly relevant
- The witness statement was directly relevant to the dispute.
- remain relevant
- Good dictionaries remain relevant by updating usage notes.
- relevant to the topic
- Keep your examples relevant to the topic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pertinent
- Pertinent is more formal and precise; relevant is the everyday word.
- applicable
- Applicable means able to be applied in a situation; relevant only needs a clear connection.
- related
- Related is broader and weaker; relevant suggests the connection matters now.
- germane
- Germane is formal and often used in meetings or law; it fits slightly better than relevant in very precise contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- relevance noun
- The quality of being connected and important to the matter at hand.
- relevantly adverb
- In a way that connects clearly to the subject; fairly formal.
- irrelevant adjective
- Not connected closely enough to matter; the direct opposite.
Commonly confused: relevant or relative? relevant or revelant?
relevant vs relative
Relative can mean a family member or compared with something else; relevant means connected to the matter being discussed.
relevant vs revelant
Revelant is a common misspelling; the standard spelling is relevant.
Practice
The judge asked both sides to present only evidence ___ the case.
Choose one answer.
Relevant normally takes the preposition to: relevant to the case. Relevant for sometimes appears in learner English but is not the standard pattern here, while about and of do not fit the fixed collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “relevant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.