ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pertinent

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈpɝtɪnɪnt// UK //pˈɜːtɪnənt// per·ti·nent

adj. relevant or directly related to the topic you are talking about. You use this to describe information that is useful for solving a problem or answering a question.

adj. relating directly and significantly to the matter at hand. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe evidence or arguments that have a logical connection to the issue.


SIMPLE

The lawyer asked several pertinent questions during the trial.

CONTEXTUAL

Please include only the most pertinent details in your report to keep it brief and effective.

COMPLEX

The judge ruled that the witness's previous criminal record was not pertinent to the current case and should therefore be disregarded by the jury.

Synonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English pertinent, borrowed from Old French pertinent and Latin pertinēns, pertinentem.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'. Often followed by the preposition 'to'.

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