Word
irrelevant
Meanings
not related to the subject, question, or situation being discussed
not important or not useful for a particular purpose or decision
Definition
Not connected with what is being discussed or considered.
If something is irrelevant, it does not relate to the topic, question, or decision at hand. It may be true or interesting, but it does not help you understand or solve the current issue. In writing and speaking, removing irrelevant information makes your message clearer and more persuasive.
Examples
- During the debate, the moderator cut him off when his personal anecdotes became irrelevant to the policy question.
- I removed several irrelevant details from my report so the main argument would be easier to follow.
- She stayed calm and ignored irrelevant comments in the meeting, steering the discussion back to the agenda.
- They realized that the latest statistics were irrelevant because the dataset used a different definition from theirs.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse "irrelevant" (not related) with "unimportant"; something can be important but still irrelevant to a specific topic.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.