pertinent

pertinent — adjective

1. closely connected with the topic, question, or decision being discussed, so it c

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

closely connected with the topic, question, or decision being discussed, so it clearly deserves attention.

Example

The judge stopped a question that was not pertinent to the case.

pertinent to + case

Only the most pertinent details went into the final accident report.

collocation: pertinent details

Common collocations
  • pertinent question
  • pertinent point
  • pertinent detail
  • pertinent evidence
  • not pertinent to the case
Synonyms
  • relevant

    the usual everyday word; less formal than 'pertinent'

  • applicable

    used more for rules, methods, or ideas that can be used in a case

  • germane

    very close in meaning but rarer and often more formal

  • appropriate

    focuses on being suitable or proper, not simply connected

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

pertinent to + topic/case/question

pertinent + noun

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'to' plus the subject it connects with. Common in formal speech and writing for questions, facts, remarks, and evidence; in everyday English, 'relevant' is more common.

Common Mistakes

These figures are not pertinent with our budget meeting.
These figures are not pertinent to our budget meeting.
use 'pertinent to', not 'pertinent with'.
The lawyer asked a pertinent about the date.
The lawyer asked a pertinent question about the date.
'pertinent' is an adjective, so it must describe a noun.

Word family

  • pertain
    verbC1
  • pertinently
    adverbC2
  • pertinence
    nounC2
  • impertinent
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Pertinent' is a formal word for something that connects clearly to the exact matter being discussed. 'Relevant' is the broad everyday choice and works in almost any context. 'Applicable' is narrower: it says a rule, law, method, or idea can be used in a situation, not just that it relates to it. 'Germane' is very close to 'pertinent' in meaning, but it sounds more formal and is much less common in daily English. 'Appropriate' points to what is suitable or proper, which is a different idea. A comment can be pertinent without being polite, and a dress can be appropriate without being pertinent. Say 'The lawyer asked a pertinent question', but 'These rules are applicable to part-time staff'.

pertinent ↗relevant ↗applicable ↗germaneappropriate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be pertinent to
  • not pertinent to the case
  • raise a pertinent point

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English took 'pertinent' from French, and the word goes back to Latin 'pertinere', meaning 'to reach to' or 'to concern'. The older idea was of something stretching toward a matter; from that, English developed the modern sense of being directly connected with what is under discussion.