English Lexicon

Irrelevance

/ɪˈrɛl.ə.vəns/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #7500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The quality or state of being irrelevant; lack of importance or significance.

    "In today's fast-paced world, the irrelevance of outdated information can hinder progress."
  2. 2

    A situation or condition that does not pertain to the matter at hand.

    "The discussion was filled with irrelevance, straying far from the main topic."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') combined with 'relevance', which originates from the Late Latin 'relevantia', from 'relevare' (to lift up, to relieve). Over centuries, the meaning shifted from 'raising up' to 'pertaining to or bearing upon', with 'irrelevance' coming to denote that which lacks connection or applicability.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Irrelevance"?

10 Global Lexicons: How "Irrelevance" is said worldwide

Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Irrelevance"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Irrelevance" Synonym Map