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
- germanely adverb
- germaneness noun
- nongermane adjective
- ungermane adjective
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
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Grade 11, List 4
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The Pearl
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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.
It’s a germane question not only because Mr. Rubio presumably wants one day to be the party’s standard-bearer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Before 2008, the size of the Fed’s balance sheet wasn’t germane to monetary policy.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
And what in those files are germane to Trump?
From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025
More are verifying heritage claims if they are germane to jobs, scholarships and other benefits.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025
Any sound that was not germane to the night would make them alert.
From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck
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.
