pertinent
[pur-tn-uh nt]
- pertaining or relating directly and significantly to the matter at hand; relevant: pertinent details.
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Origin of pertinent
Synonyms
See more synonyms for pertinent on Thesaurus.comappropriate, fitting, fit, suitable, applicable.
Synonym study
See apt.
Antonyms
irrelevant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for pertinent
Contemporary Examples
The Dalai Lama regaled the crowd with stories, not all pertinent to the subject at hand.
His approach was also a most pertinent way for him to get his message across.
THE NEWSWEEK DAILY BEAST COMPANY WILL REPORT ANY INDIVIDUAL WINNINGS TO PERTINENT TAX AUTHORITIES AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
Newsweek & The Daily Beast-Open Hands Prize for Commentary: Official RulesThe Daily Beast
May 4, 2012
Banks made loans to borrowers without proper documentation of employment and other pertinent information.
Pertinent, here, is the one silver lining in the Abdulmutallab case: that the father reported his own son to the authorities.
Historical Examples
He was quick at repartee, and his observations were gentle but pertinent.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
We quote for the sake of one line chiefly, but the whole stanza is pertinent.
A Dish Of OrtsGeorge MacDonald
His reply was curt and pertinent: "It took long enough, young man!"
Life: Its True GenesisR. W. Wright
Gertrude's earnestness was too real to be shaken by this pertinent inquiry.
Cap'n Dan's DaughterJoseph C. Lincoln
Listen, on what a pertinent thought did I come this morning.
Under the Country SkyGrace S. Richmond
pertinent
- relating to the matter at hand; relevant
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin pertinēns, from pertinēre to pertain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for pertinent
adj.
late 14c., from Anglo-French purtinaunt (late 13c.), Old French partenant (mid-13c.) and directly from Latin pertinentem (nominative pertinens) "pertaining," present participle of pertinere "to relate, concern" (see pertain). Related: Pertinently.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper