Basic Details
Word: Irrelevant
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Not connected with the matter being discussed, and so not important to it.
Synonyms: unrelated, unconnected, beside the point, immaterial
Antonyms: relevant, related, pertinent
How to Spell Irrelevant
Syllables: ir - rel - e - vant
Tricky part: The l comes before the v: rel-e-vant. Many people swap them and write irrevelant. The ending is vant, not vent.
Watch out for: irrevelant, irrelevent, irelevant
Memory tip: The start of elevator is hidden in it: irr-ELEV-ant. Keep elev in that order and the l stays before the v.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Your shoe size is irrelevant to whether you can sing.
Example 2: The judge said the witness's comments were irrelevant to the case.
Example 3: Stick to the topic; irrelevant points will lose you marks in the essay.
Fun Fact
Relevant comes from the Latin verb relevare, to lift up or relieve, which is also the source of the English word relieve.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. brilliant 2. irrevelant 3. vigilant 4. elegant
a) graceful and stylish
b) watching carefully for danger
c) not connected with the matter being discussed
d) very bright or very clever
Show answer
c) not connected with the matter being discussed. Irrevelant has the l and v swapped; the word should read irrelevant.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to irrelevant as used in the sentence:
In the debate, Faisal kept bringing up facts that were irrelevant to the question of school uniforms.
a) immaterial
b) pertinent
c) unrelated
d) unconnected
Show answer
b) pertinent. Pertinent means closely connected to the point, the reverse of irrelevant.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
i_rel_vant
a) r,e
b) r,a
c) l,e
d) r,i
Show answer
a) r,e. Ir meets relevant to make rr, and relevant has an e after the l.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which detail is irrelevant to the question 'How do plants make food?'
a) the sunlight falling on the leaves
b) the water taken in by the roots
c) the colour of the gardener's shirt
d) the green colouring in the leaves
Show answer
c) the colour of the gardener's shirt
2. If a teacher calls a point in your essay irrelevant, she means the point ____.
a) is written in very small letters
b) has too many spelling errors
c) was copied from another student
d) has nothing to do with the topic
Show answer
d) has nothing to do with the topic
