irrelevant

[ ih-rel-uh-vuhnt ]

adjective

1. not relevant; not applicable or pertinent:

   His lectures often stray to interesting but irrelevant subjects.

2. Law. (of evidence) having no probative value upon any issue in the case.

irrelevant

/ ɪˈrɛləvənt /

adjective

1. not relating or pertinent to the matter at hand; not important

Pronunciation Note

The pronunciation of irrelevant [ih-, rel, -, uh, -v, uh, nt], as [ih-, rev, -, uh, -l, uh, nt], as if spelled irrevelant, is the result of metathesis, the transposition of two sounds, in this case, the [l] and the [v]. 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 [l] and [v] consonant sounds, althought not a strict one-to-one metathesis, can be heard for Calvary [kal, -v, uh, -ree] when pronounced [kav, -, uh, l-ree]. Here the transposition is reinforced by the existence of the familiar word cavalry.

Derived Forms

• irˈrelevance, noun
• irˈrelevantly, adverb

Other Words From

• ir·rele·vant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of irrelevant¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

“Saying that matter interactions all come from the metric of classical spacetime means, at least naïvely, that quantum spacetime — whatever that means empirically — does not really have any role, or that the foundational questions in quantum theory are simply irrelevant in quantum theory of gravity and matter,” Minic said.

From Salon

What somebody does or doesn’t do is irrelevant.

From Los Angeles Times

Government sources told the El País newspaper this was “irrelevant” and that Mazón was constantly informed of events.

From BBC

Instead, increasing numbers of Americans have a media diet that is mostly a bunch of lies, conspiracy theories, irrelevant diatribes and other such bunkum that right-wing propagandists use to deceive people.

From Salon

His campaign message was a shambolic tapestry of fearmongering, race-baiting, transphobia, dishonesty, and increasingly irrelevant mumbling.

From Slate

Related Words

• extraneous
• immaterial
• inappropriate
• inconsequential
• insignificant
• pointless
• trivial
• unimportant
• unnecessary
• unrelated