relevant
adjective
rel·e·vant
ˈre-lə-vənt 
1
a
: having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand
b
: affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion
relevant testimony
c
: having social relevance
2
relevantly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of relevant in a Sentence
… the sport [men's tennis] is so invisible to the American fan that it's in danger of becoming as relevant as—gasp—soccer
—
Mike Freeman, NewYork Times, 1 Sept. 2002
Mendelian genetics is no more relevant to understanding heredity in the real world than Euclidean geometry is to understanding the shape of an oak tree.
—Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
But it is much less relevant when the question becomes, as it should, "What, then, must we do with and for the one third or so of black America that seems to be permanently alienated from the structures of opportunity in this society?"
—Glenn C. Loury, Atlantic, November 1997
The smallest distance that is relevant to measurement today is something like 10-17 centimeters, which is how far a thing called the Z0 (see zero) can travel before it departs our world.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The ideas and observations expressed in the book are still relevant today.
make sure your comments during the interview are short and relevant
Mike Freeman, NewYork Times, 1 Sept. 2002
Mendelian genetics is no more relevant to understanding heredity in the real world than Euclidean geometry is to understanding the shape of an oak tree.
—Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
But it is much less relevant when the question becomes, as it should, "What, then, must we do with and for the one third or so of black America that seems to be permanently alienated from the structures of opportunity in this society?"
—Glenn C. Loury, Atlantic, November 1997
The smallest distance that is relevant to measurement today is something like 10-17 centimeters, which is how far a thing called the Z0 (see zero) can travel before it departs our world.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The ideas and observations expressed in the book are still relevant today.
make sure your comments during the interview are short and relevant
Recent Examples on the Web
Pitaro, 54, who previously led Disney’s consumer products and interactive media division, is credited with calming the waters and preparing the network for the future by increasing its digital prowess and growing its social media presence to keep it relevant with younger viewers.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
In his filing, Mr. Smith asked Judge Cannon to follow a normal course of action and decide the legal question of whether the Presidential Records Act was relevant to the case in the context of Mr. Trump’s motion to dismiss, not in conversations about jury instructions.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relevant 
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
In his filing, Mr. Smith asked Judge Cannon to follow a normal course of action and decide the legal question of whether the Presidential Records Act was relevant to the case in the context of Mr. Trump’s motion to dismiss, not in conversations about jury instructions.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for relevant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relevant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Relevant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relevant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
relevant
adjective
rel·e·vant
ˈrel-ə-vənt
: having something to do with the matter being considered : pertinent
a relevant question
relevantly
adverb
Legal Definition
relevant
adjective
rel·e·vant
ˈre-lə-vənt
1
: tending logically to prove or disprove a fact of consequence or to make the fact more or less probable and thereby aiding the trier of fact in making a decision
determined that the evidence was relevant
also
: having a bearing on or reasonably calculated to lead to a matter that bears on any issue in a case for purposes of pretrial discovery see also relevant evidence at evidence
2
: having significant and demonstrable bearing on facts or issues
was not a relevant case
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