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
- irrelevance noun
- irrelevantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of irrelevant
First recorded in 1780–90
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.
If winning in spring training is not predictive, neither is it irrelevant.
From Los Angeles Times
"It's irrelevant really. It's how the players react to that. If they absorb it and it affects them, then that's a negative. But i think our players are robust enough to ignore it."
From BBC
When Ghostface dismisses Gale as “an old irrelevant hag,” there’s no way of telling if that Gen Z dis is a hint, a feint or a mistake.
From Los Angeles Times
Investors need to focus not only on net-of-fee returns, but also have a deeper understanding of inherent risk — the volatility used by public-market investors as a risk proxy is irrelevant in private markets.
From MarketWatch
Critics say shareholder proposals are excessive or misused, but the system includes safeguards that allow companies to exclude proposals that are irrelevant, duplicative, vague or improper.
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.
