What does pertinence mean?
Pertinence means relevance: the quality of being directly connected to a particular subject, purpose, or question. It is especially useful when evaluating whether information, evidence, or an argument has genuine bearing on a matter. The word appears frequently in formal, academic, legal, and policy discussions, where writers ask about the pertinence of a topic, comment, or piece of evidence. “Of no pertinence” is a particularly common formulation, indicating that something is irrelevant or has no meaningful bearing on the issue. Although pertinence can sometimes sound technical or old-fashioned, it is more precise than a general use of “relevance” because it emphasizes the relationship between two things: one subject is pertinent to another when it has a direct and significant connection to it. In everyday conversation, “relevant” is normally more natural.
nounPertinence is the quality of being relevant or applicable to a particular subject, purpose, or issue. It is especially used in formal contexts to refer to whether something has a meaningful connection to the matter being discussed.
- The quality of being relevant or applicable to a particular subject, purpose, or issue.
"The committee questioned the pertinence of several proposed amendments."
"The report highlights the pertinence of these findings to current policy debates."
"His response was dismissed as being of little pertinence to the investigation."
Pertinence is the word for whether an idea truly connects to the question at hand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pertinence come from?
The word comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin pertinentia, meaning “relevance” or “applicability.” Latin pertinentia was derived from pertinent, “relevant” or “applicable,” which in turn belongs to the Latin root pertinere, “to pertain” or “relate to,” formed from per- and tenere, “to hold.” The related English adjective “pertinent” and the formal noun “pertinacy” or “pertinacious” reflect the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How pertinence is actually used
Chiefly formal and common in academic, legal, and analytical writing. It often appears in phrases such as “the pertinence of” and “of no pertinence,” and can sound more emphatic or technical than the everyday word “relevance.”
Easily confused with pertinence
Pertinence concerns relevance or connection to a subject, whereas permanence concerns the state of lasting indefinitely.