relevance
gb/ɹˈɛlɪvəns/ us/ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
B2
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
connection or importance to a subject
How much something is connected to a subject or situation, and how important it is for that subject.
Usage pattern:
the relevance of [something] (to [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun 'relevance' with the adjective 'relevant'. For example, they may say *'This is of relevance information'* instead of the correct forms: 'This information is relevant' or 'This has relevance.' Another common mistake is using 'relevancy', which is possible but much less common and often unnecessary.
Synonyms
importance (Broader and more general; does not always include the idea of being clearly connected to a specific subject, which 'relevance' usually does.)
|
pertinence (More formal and slightly rarer; strongly emphasizes being exactly on the point of what is being discussed.)
Antonyms
irrelevance (Means having no meaningful connection to the subject being discussed.)
|
insignificance (Focuses on being unimportant, even if there is some connection to the subject.)
Collocations
the relevance of
|have relevance
|be of relevance
|direct relevance
|practical relevance
|limited relevance
Themes
communication
|thinking
|academic
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The judge questioned the relevance of the new evidence to the main case.
- In your report, you should explain the relevance of these statistics to your argument.
- Students often struggle to see the relevance of certain school subjects to their daily lives.
- Her comment had little relevance to the topic they were debating.
- The article discusses the relevance of climate data for city planning.
Learner examples
- I do not understand the relevance of this story to our class.
- Please explain the relevance of your question.
- These examples have direct relevance to the test.
- The teacher asked about the relevance of the movie to modern life.
Noun
C1
property
2
practical or real-world significance
How much something matters in real life for people today, or for a certain group or time.
Usage pattern:
[something] has / loses / maintains relevance (for [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'relevance' only for logical connections and forget it can also describe cultural or social importance, as in 'social relevance' or 'political relevance.' They may also overuse 'important' and not realize that 'relevance' often sounds better when you want to stress current or practical meaning in people's lives.
Synonyms
significance (Very close in meaning; often used when talking about wider importance, while 'relevance' highlights importance in a specific social or historical context.)
|
resonance (Suggests emotional or cultural impact on people, not just practical or logical importance.)
Antonyms
obsolescence (Focuses on something becoming outdated so that it no longer has practical value or relevance.)
|
irrelevance (Emphasizes that something no longer matters to people's current concerns or real lives.)
Collocations
social relevance
|cultural relevance
|political relevance
|contemporary relevance
|maintain relevance
|lose relevance
Themes
society
|culture
|media
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many museums are working hard to increase their social relevance to younger audiences.
- The director wanted to update the play to give it greater relevance for modern viewers.
- Some argue that printed newspapers are losing their relevance in the digital age.
- The book has surprising relevance to current debates about privacy and technology.
- Artists often worry about maintaining their relevance as trends change.
Learner examples
- The movie still has relevance for people today.
- Some old customs have lost their relevance in modern life.
- The singer works to keep her music's relevance for young fans.
- This question has special relevance for international students.
Noun
technical
C2
property
3
legal usefulness of evidence
In legal or very formal settings, how much a piece of information can help decide if something is true or false.
Usage pattern:
the relevance of [evidence/information] (to [a case/issue])
Synonyms
materiality (Technical legal term; focuses on whether a fact could affect the outcome of a case, overlapping with legal 'relevance' but more specialized.)
Antonyms
inadmissibility (In legal contexts, refers to evidence that cannot be used in court, often because it lacks relevance or violates rules.)
Collocations
legal relevance
|question the relevance
|assess the relevance
|lack relevance
|of no relevance to the case
Themes
law
|justice
Examples
- The defense lawyer challenged the relevance of the witness's statement to the charges.
- The judge ruled that the documents had no relevance to the case and excluded them.
- Attorneys debated the relevance of the video evidence before the jury saw it.
Learner examples
- The court must decide the relevance of this email.
- Her lawyer argued about the relevance of the old record.
- The judge questioned the relevance of that information.
Grammar
Dictionary form
relevance
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
US/ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
Syllables & stress
rel - ev - ance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rel)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: relevance
- Plural: relevance
Word family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
irrelevant
adjective B2
irrelevance
noun
Advanced or less common
relevantly
adverb
irrelevantly
adverb
Expressions
be of little relevance
1/bˈi əv lˈɪtəl ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
fixed phrase
not very connected or important
to be only weakly connected to something, or not very important for it.
Examples
- His personal life is of little relevance to the job interview.
- What happened years ago is of little relevance to the current discussion.
be of particular relevance
1/bˈi əv pɚtˈɪkjəlɚ ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
fixed phrase
formal
especially important or connected
to be especially important or clearly connected to a certain subject or group.
Examples
- This issue is of particular relevance to small businesses.
- The study is of particular relevance for policymakers in developing countries.
lose relevance
1/lˈuz ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
fixed phrase
stop being important or connected
to slowly stop being important or connected to what people care about now.
Examples
- Some traditions lose relevance as society changes.
- Printed catalogues have largely lost relevance in the age of online shopping.
maintain relevance
1/meɪntˈeɪn ɹˈɛlɪvəns/
fixed phrase
continue to be important or connected
to continue to be important or connected to what people care about now.
Examples
- The magazine has struggled to maintain relevance among younger readers.
- To maintain relevance, the company must keep updating its products.
of relevance to
1/əv ɹˈɛlɪvəns tə/
fixed phrase
connected or important to something
connected or important to a particular subject, situation, or group.
Examples
- These findings are of relevance to teachers working in large classes.
- The changes are of particular relevance to low-income families.
with relevance to
1/wˈɪθ ɹˈɛlɪvəns tə/
fixed phrase
formal
concerning a particular subject
concerning or related to a particular subject or question.
Examples
- The committee will report back with relevance to the budget cuts.
- We received several comments with relevance to the proposed policy.