pertinent
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
See apt.
Other Word 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.
Pertinent to the topic at hand, however, were the pieces griping about her lack of consideration regarding the demands of parenting in either her original book or her 2016 follow-up, "Spark Joy."
From Salon • Feb. 1, 2023
Pertinent to us is Elms’ note about the black box that is these platforms’ moderation efforts.
From The Verge • Dec. 7, 2021
Pertinent video clips will also be showcased from “particularly newsworthy days,” the network says, as is a daily, program guide and a special web resource found at C-span.org/impeachment.
From Washington Times • Nov. 12, 2019
Pertinent to this discussion was an announcement from the Colonial Office concerning British restrictions on the production of rubber.
From Time Magazine Archive
Pertinent questions, surely, and none of them answerable.
From My Path to Atheism by Besant, Annie Wood
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.
