irrelevance

American  

[ih-rel-uh-vuhns] / ɪˈrɛl ə vəns /

noun

1. the quality or condition of being irrelevant.

2. an irrelevant thing, act, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of irrelevance

1840–50; ir- ² + relevance ( def. ); relevant ( def. )

Explanation

Irrelevance represents what is NOT at all important to what’s going on right now. Anything that distracts you from this sentence is clearly an example of irrelevance. The Latin root word for irrelevance is relevare, which means “raising up.” The prefix ir- means “not,” therefore if a situation does not relate to or raise your interest, it’s irrelevant. In a courtroom, lawyers who lose sight of their case argue about irrelevances, and your sister speaks with irrelevance when she wakes you up to talk about rainbows. It’s always best to focus on important things, but irrelevance now and then won’t kill you.

Example Sentences

"The alternative is really not purity, but irrelevance," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

PayPal now has “institutional irrelevance among top merchants,” he wrote in a Tuesday blog post.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

The Golden Globes have long been excused for their scandals and idiosyncratic membership and, of course, mocked for their irrelevance.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

Munger, who had lost his wife in 2010, feared loneliness and irrelevance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

In any case, such organizations were a complete irrelevance to the heart of political life in this country.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro