pertinence

American  

[pur-tn-uhns] / ˈpɜr tn əns /

Sometimes pertinency

noun

1. the fact or quality of being directly and significantly related to the matter at hand; relevance.

   The sheer quantity of health information on the Internet makes it challenging for users to judge the pertinence, credibility, and applicability of what is retrieved.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonpertinence noun
• nonpertinency noun

Etymology

Origin of pertinence

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; pertin(ent) ( def. ) + -ence ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Those are timeless issues, and obviously they have a certain pertinence today in the United States of America.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

He referenced the city’s founding by the Muscogee Creek native people, the area’s oil boom and the 1921 race massacre that only recently resurfaced in the national conversation as evidence of its cultural pertinence.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2025

The Reds' failed bid four years ago will be of most pertinence to the Gunners, given it was Manchester City, Arsenal's closest title rivals, who overhauled them.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2023

No one is questioning the legality or pertinence of allowing divergent viewpoints.

From Washington Times • Dec. 15, 2022

They were about the same in other towns, but the Salinas Row has a pertinence to this telling.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck