pertinent
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See apt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of pertinent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin pertinent- (stem of pertinēns ), present participle of pertinēre “to be applicable, pertain”; see pertain, -ent
Explanation
Something pertinent is relevant and on-point. If you give your best friend pertinent advice, that means the advice is appropriate for the situation. Something pertinent is related to the current topic or situation — and probably helpful too. If you're in math class and you make a comment about World War I, that's likely not pertinent. If you're in music class and you talk about a cello, that probably is pertinent. Pertinent things are appropriate and logical. In most situations, people like to get comments and questions that are pertinent — anything else can just seem like a distraction.
Vocabulary lists containing pertinent
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Grade 10, List 2
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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.
They highlight that the U.S. consumer-price index data for May will be released on June 10, an increasingly pertinent issue for investors amid a spike in energy costs caused by the Iran war.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
As a child, he knew the names of all the popes and the dates of their papacies, as well as the names and pertinent dates of England’s kings and queens.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
But it is pertinent to say Berta's appointment was a necessity following Edu's decision to leave Arsenal in November 2024 to join Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis' stable of clubs.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
It feels especially pertinent in a new era of maxx eating.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
But all of that was pertinent only in the night, and had nothing to do with the man you loved, at least in daylight.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
