irrelevance

/ɪˈrɛləvəns/

Other forms: irrelevances

Irrelevance represents what is NOT at all important to what’s going on right now. Anything that distracts you from this sentence is clearly an example of irrelevance.

The Latin root word for irrelevance is relevare, which means “raising up.” The prefix ir- means “not,” therefore if a situation does not relate to or raise your interest, it’s irrelevant. In a courtroom, lawyers who lose sight of their case argue about irrelevances, and your sister speaks with irrelevance when she wakes you up to talk about rainbows. It’s always best to focus on important things, but irrelevance now and then won’t kill you.

Definitions of irrelevance

1. noun

   the lack of a relation of something to the matter at hand
   synonyms: irrelevancy

   antonyms:

   relevance

   the relation of something to the matter at hand

   types:

   inapplicability

   irrelevance by virtue of being inapplicable to the matter at hand

   immateriality

   complete irrelevance requiring no further consideration

   type of:

   unconnectedness

   the lack of a connection between things