irrelevant
Americanadjective
-
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.
adjective
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of irrelevant , as , as if spelled irrevelant, is the result of metathesis, the transposition of two sounds, in this case, the and the . 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 and consonant sounds, althought not a strict one-to-one metathesis, can be heard for Calvary when pronounced . Here the transposition is reinforced by the existence of the familiar word cavalry.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of irrelevant
First recorded in 1780–90
Explanation
If you're talking about hockey and someone keeps trying to mention football, you might describe their comments as irrelevant. Irrelevant means not related to the subject at hand. If a rock star becomes irrelevant, it means people are not relating––or even listening––to his music anymore. It isn't part of what people are thinking or talking about. The opposite is relevant, meaning related. An analysis of brush strokes in Manet's painting would be relevant to a discussion of texture in painting in general. Relevant was borrowed from Medieval Latin relevare "to bear upon," from Latin, "to lift up." The prefix ir-, meaning "not," is a variant of in- before words that begin with the letter r.
Vocabulary lists containing irrelevant
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Keystone Exams: English Composition Glossary
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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.
Fifth National Climate Assessment, views his job as providing relevant scientific information rather than offering policy prescriptions.
From Salon • Dec. 30, 2024
“Patients continue to receive the highest quality of care, and we are providing relevant updates on the ongoing situation to our patients, employees and caregivers,” CommonSpirit Health said in a statement.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2022
“The SBC Executive Committee commits to providing full support and transparency to Guidepost Solutions, including making individuals available for interviews and providing relevant documents,” the committee said in a statement at the time.
From Washington Post • May 27, 2022
The Duma's statement said Russian credit institutions will now be forbidden from providing relevant authorities of foreign states with information about customers and their transactions as well as about beneficiaries and beneficial owners.
From Reuters • Apr. 20, 2022
Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill said he carefully weighed the witnesses' value in providing relevant testimony versus the potential prejudice to Cosby.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2017
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.
