irrelevant

[ ih-rel-uh-vuhnt ]

/ ɪˈrɛl ə vənt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for irrelevant on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not relevant; not applicable or pertinent: His lectures often stray to interesting but irrelevant subjects.

Law. (of evidence) having no probative value upon any issue in the case.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of irrelevant

First recorded in 1780–90

how to pronounce irrelevant

The pronunciation of irrelevant

[ih-rel-uh-vuhnt], /ɪˈrɛl ə vənt/, as

[ih-rev-uh-luhnt], /ɪˈrɛv ə lənt/, as if spelled irrevelant, is the result of metathesis, the transposition of two sounds, in this case, the

[l] /l/ and the

[v]. /v/. Relevant, the base word, is occasionally subject to the same process. Analogy with words like prevalent and equivalent may play a role. A similar reordering of the

[l] /l/ and

[v] /v/ consonant sounds, althought not a strict one-to-one metathesis, can be heard for Calvary

[kal-vuh-ree] /ˈkæl və ri/ when pronounced

[kav-uhl-ree]. /ˈkæv əl ri/. Here the transposition is reinforced by the existence of the familiar word cavalry.

OTHER WORDS FROM irrelevant

ir·rel·e·vant·ly, adverb

How to use irrelevant in a sentence

Topsheets, it turns out, are irrelevant when you’re eating maple-miso salmon in the middle of the wilderness.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food|Christina Bernstein|November 12, 2020|Outside Online
The judge did not take a position on the matter, other than to note that the veracity of such statements would be irrelevant to the question of whether such speech should be prohibited.
Court rejects Uber drivers’ bid to bar app from pushing political message on employment status|Faiz Siddiqui, Reed Albergotti|October 28, 2020|Washington Post
Shepard said those investments – both hers and her husband’s – are irrelevant to her positions as a public official.
Bry Might Recuse Herself From Future Franchise Fee Decisions|Andrew Keatts and MacKenzie Elmer|October 23, 2020|Voice of San Diego
They go on to dismiss the views of other scientists and non-scientist academics as irrelevant.
Coronavirus: Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease? The Most Divisive Question Of 2020|LGBTQ-Editor|October 12, 2020|No Straight News

These are reported in a new Search Phrases card, and advertisers can review and pause irrelevant queries that triggered their ads.
Microsoft’s Digital Marketing Center for search and social management adds features, opens beta|Ginny Marvin|October 7, 2020|Search Engine Land
Utterly irrelevantly, Stanton brushed him aside, and began to rummage anxiously among the books on his table.
Molly Make-Believe|Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
"I associate you with the country and green things," he answered irrelevantly.
Mary Gray|Katharine Tynan
Quite irrelevantly, Jill's words in the tunnel came back to him.
A World is Born|Leigh Douglass Brackett
"I helped a feller and got misjudged," he added irrelevantly.
Tom Slade with the Colors|Percy K. Fitzhugh
Of course, the case of the department-store buyer and the teamster is irrelevantly extreme.
The Women of Tomorrow|William Hard

British Dictionary definitions for irrelevant

irrelevant

/ (ɪˈrɛləvənt) /

adjective

not relating or pertinent to the matter at hand; not important

Derived forms of irrelevant

irrelevance or irrelevancy, nounirrelevantly, adverb

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

irrelevant

Origin of irrelevant

how to pronounce irrelevant

OTHER WORDS FROM irrelevant

Words related to irrelevant

How to use irrelevant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for irrelevant

Derived forms of irrelevant