Words / B2

i-REL-uh-v-uh-nt/ɪˈreləvənt/

Irrelevant means not related to the subject: irrelevant detail; irrelevant to the question. Relevant is the opposite (already in the dictionary). A biography is irrelevant if the question is on structure. Exam command: stay relevant. Mix-up: irreverent means disrespectful (already elsewhere).

Meaning

Not related to the subject and therefore not useful.

Examples

• “A biography of the author is irrelevant if the question is on structure.”
• “Strike through irrelevant working, which is the maths-paper sense.”

Good to know

irrelevant to; irrelevant detail / evidence. Opposite: relevant. Trap: irreverent. Exams and law. Off-question, not “slightly boring”.

New