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

Swinney also highlighted the potential relevance of the Internal Market Act in that respect.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

“Not knowing the Cannes Film Festival is almost impossible,” he adds of the event’s global relevance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

GameStop has also been looking for ways to reignite its customer base as online gaming has dampened the relevance of the company’s bricks-and-mortar stores.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

“We have been stressing the increasing relevance of equity markets for dollar crosses, and this remains crucial,” he added.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

But this brief discussion may at least indicate the relevance of environmental factors to smaller-scale and shorter-term patterns of history, as well as to history’s broadest pattern.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• applicability
• importance
• purpose