pertinent
adjective
per·ti·nent
ˈpər-tə-nənt 
ˈpərt-nənt
: having a clear decisive relevance to the matter in hand
pertinently
adverb
Examples of pertinent in a Sentence
At the dawn of the common-law court system, jurors took their places as residents of the neighborhood where the pertinent events had occurred, who were assumed to possess special knowledge of the facts and, more important, of every witness's credibility.
—
Hiller B. Zobel, American Heritage, July/August 1995
A more pertinent question than "What am I?" is "How can I be who I am and still hack it in America?"
—C. Eric Lincoln, Lure and Loathing, 1993
But as my moment of fame ticks by, a more pertinent issue persists: What hath CNN wrought in the worlds of communications, of diplomacy, of politics?
—Peter Arnett, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991
No recurrent symbolism in the Odyssey is more pertinent than the long and deliberate stripping its hero undergoes: of his ships, of his men, of his hopes, of his clothes, even of his very skin on the cliffs of Corfu.
—John Fowles, Island, 1978
he impressed the jury with his concise, pertinent answers to the attorney's questions
Hiller B. Zobel, American Heritage, July/August 1995
A more pertinent question than "What am I?" is "How can I be who I am and still hack it in America?"
—C. Eric Lincoln, Lure and Loathing, 1993
But as my moment of fame ticks by, a more pertinent issue persists: What hath CNN wrought in the worlds of communications, of diplomacy, of politics?
—Peter Arnett, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991
No recurrent symbolism in the Odyssey is more pertinent than the long and deliberate stripping its hero undergoes: of his ships, of his men, of his hopes, of his clothes, even of his very skin on the cliffs of Corfu.
—John Fowles, Island, 1978
he impressed the jury with his concise, pertinent answers to the attorney's questions
Recent Examples on the Web
The receipts included some pertinent info: date, location, and the type of gift.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
This review will be updated with any pertinent details when the current 2025 audit concludes.
—PC Magazine, 10 June 2025
The most pertinent pandemic threat today is the bird flu virus H5N1.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 6 June 2025
At least until an effective vaccine for COVID-19 is developed and widely available, a more pertinent question might be: What won’t be?
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pertinent
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Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
This review will be updated with any pertinent details when the current 2025 audit concludes.
—PC Magazine, 10 June 2025
The most pertinent pandemic threat today is the bird flu virus H5N1.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 6 June 2025
At least until an effective vaccine for COVID-19 is developed and widely available, a more pertinent question might be: What won’t be?
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pertinent
Cite this Entry
“Pertinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pertinent. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pertinent
adjective
per·ti·nent
ˈpərt-ᵊn-ənt
ˈpərt-nənt
: having to do with the matter being thought about or discussed : relevant
a pertinent question
pertinently
adverb
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