germane
Americanadjective
-
closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent.
Please keep your statements germane to the issue.
- Synonyms:
- suited, apt, fitting, appropriate, apposite, applicable, related
-
Obsolete. closely related.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of germane
Variant of german
Explanation
Germane means relevant; it fits in. If you are giving a speech on dog training, stick to the germane, canine stuff. Topics that would not be germane? Catnip toys, hamster wheels, and the use of a saddle. You can thank Shakespeare for the modern meaning of the adjective germane. The word originally referred to people who have the same parents. Shakespeare added the word's figurative meaning of objects being closely related or relevant when he used it in the play Hamlet. You might want to bring up all sorts of complaints during an argument with your best friend, but she says the two of you should only discuss issues that are germane to the current fight.
Vocabulary lists containing germane
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 11, List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Pearl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Several lower-ranked skiers finished in the top 15, most notably Dzenifera Germane of Latvia, who started 50th and finished eighth, and Italian-born Lara Colturi, who competes for Albania, who wore bib 60 and finished ninth.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2024
Near the entrance to the Arsenale galleries, the American architect Germane Barnes has installed a series of busts, sitting atop marble pedestals, that wear futuristic masks, some resembling gas masks and others N-95s.
From New York Times • May 22, 2023
Germane Barnes, a black architecture professor at the University of Miami, has traveled the country studying its role within black vernacular.
From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2018
The Biennale's centerpiece is a particularly good one organized by the Italian critic Germane Celini: "Ambient Art," an astutely chosen selection of room-sized, environmental sculptures and murals by artists through the past 50 years.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Germane soup, sir; filly de sole; sweetbread; cutlet soubees, rum souffly."
From Five Tales by Galsworthy, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
