relevance

American  

[rel-uh-vuhns] / ˈrɛl ə vəns /

Often relevancy

noun

1. the condition of being relevant, or connected with the matter at hand.

   Some traditional institutions of the media lack relevance in this digital age.

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Etymology

Origin of relevance

First recorded in 1620–30, for an earlier sense; relev(ant) ( def. ) + -ance ( def. )

Explanation

To know the relevance of something is to know why it matters or how it is important. I don't understand the relevance of this discussion: it doesn't seem important to me. If you don't understand the relevance of the word "relevant" to the discussion of the meaning of the word relevance, we're gonna have some trouble. When something is "relevant," it matters. Its relevance is clear. Relevance is simply the noun form of the adjective "relevant," which means "important to the matter at hand." Artists and politicians are always worried about their relevance. If they are no longer relevant, they may not keep their job. Someone without relevance might be called "irrelevant."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

relevance

Micron Technology may be about to steal Nvidia’s thunder and underscore its increasing relevance to the broader stock market.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026

This edition also touches on ideas around the impact of big corporations on small communities, which brought added relevance to the setting of an isolated seaside town.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Understanding how sleep patterns are linked to disease risk is therefore of great relevance to Chinese citizens.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

It was no longer the social and economic relevance of a bank that rendered it too big to fail, but the number of side bets that had been made upon it.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• applicability
• importance
• purpose