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Synonyms

germane

American  
[jer-meyn] / dʒərˈmeɪn /

adjective

  1. closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent.

    Please keep your statements germane to the issue.

    Synonyms:
    suited, apt, fitting, appropriate, apposite, applicable, related
  2. Obsolete. closely related.


germane British  
/ dʒɜːˈmeɪn /

adjective

  1. related (to the topic being considered); akin; relevant

    an idea germane to the conversation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • germanely adverb
  • germaneness noun
  • nongermane adjective
  • ungermane adjective

Etymology

Origin of germane

Variant of german

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

“My subject is myself, so this kind of work, in my relationships and with myself, is germane to my writing,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025

Are these kings’ squabbles with the British Parliament over “tonnage and poundage duties” especially germane to the meaning of the U.S.

From Slate • May 16, 2024

Any sound that was not germane to the night would make them alert.

From "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck