What does irrelevant mean?
Irrelevant means that something has no connection to the matter being considered and is therefore unnecessary or without influence on the outcome. It is commonly used for details, questions, comments, or evidence that do not help explain a situation or support an argument. The word can describe something merely unrelated to a topic, as in “an irrelevant question,” or something that has no practical bearing on a result, as in “the colour was irrelevant to the decision.” Irrelevant is stronger and more direct than merely saying that something is unimportant: it identifies the thing as outside the relevant subject altogether. In professional and formal writing, it is a useful term for identifying unnecessary material, though writers should avoid using it when a more precise explanation of why something does not apply would be clearer. Its Latin-derived formation conveys the idea of not being relevant or connected.
adjectiveNot relevant or connected to the subject or issue being considered. Lacking any bearing on a particular matter or purpose.
- Not relevant to the subject or issue under discussion.
- Not connected or having no bearing on a particular matter, purpose, or outcome.
"The editor removed several irrelevant details that obscured the main argument."
"The witness was asked about the accident, but the question about the weather was irrelevant."
"The team focused on the relevant data and ignored irrelevant comments."
Sometimes the fastest way to make a point is to remove what has no bearing on it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does irrelevant come from?
The word comes from Latin irrelevans, formed from the same root as relevare, “to raise again” or “to bring back,” which developed into the sense of “to refer to” and then “to be related to.” The prefix in- gives the modern English form its negative meaning, and the word entered English in the 17th century in the sense of “not bearing on the matter.” Related English words include relevant, relevance, reliable, and reliance, all sharing the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How irrelevant is actually used
Common in formal, professional, and everyday contexts. It is often used to dismiss information that is unnecessary or does not affect the conclusion.
Easily confused with irrelevant
A relevant detail has a direct connection to the issue being considered, whereas an irrelevant detail has no such connection.