1
Core quality
Directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
Example
The witness supplied several pertinent details.
pertinent
/ˈpɜːtɪnənt/ · PUR-tih-nuntadjective
Directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
Use pertinent to express this relationship precisely: directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
What pertinent Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
Only evidence pertinent to the claim was admitted.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
The example is interesting but not pertinent here.
Use pertinent Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The witness supplied several pertinent details.
Only evidence pertinent to the claim was admitted.
The example is interesting but not pertinent here.
Precision Matters
Pertinent overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
pertinent
vs.Means directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
relevant
Means directly connected to or useful for the matter being considered.
pertinent
vs.Means directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
salient
Means most noticeable, prominent, or important to the matter at hand.
pertinent
vs.Means directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
extraneous
Means irrelevant, unnecessary, or coming from outside the matter being considered.
pertinent
vs.Means directly relevant or applicable to the matter being considered.
speak to
Means address, bear on, or provide relevant evidence about a question or issue.
Test pertinent in Context
The paragraphs do not bear directly on the matter at hand.
1
The reviewer removed two paragraphs that were accurate but not ___ to the central argument.