pertinent
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
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.
By being both uniquely pertinent and terrifying, it’s fair to say that “The Exorcist” is not just a horror classic, but an all-time classic in the history of cinema.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gather all the login credentials for your accounts, including banking and bills, as well as any other pertinent information someone might need to know to make sure everything is paid or transferred properly.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
But like last year, Beijing again risked not having a senior leader present if the two most pertinent global security issues -- Taiwan and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz -- do come up.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
As pertinent as stupidity is another human tendency, to be unable to remain permanently on high alert.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
The most pertinent consideration about the incognitum, however, was that it appeared to be extinct–a fact that Buffon cheerfully seized upon as proof of its incontestably degenerate nature.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
