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Pertinent

adj. thoughtful, capable professional

What it means

Directly relevant to the matter being considered.

Reach for it when praising information or questions that help resolve the actual issue

The mechanic asked one pertinent question about when the vibration began.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
playful
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

  • playful

    on point

    Fits when informal praise should stress exact relevance

    Careful Its conversational tone is wrong for formal analysis or a solemn inquiry.

  • everyday

    useful

    Fits when practical value matters more than topical connection

    Careful Useful advice may be general rather than pertinent to the question.

  • warm

    timely

    Fits when relevance is strengthened by arriving at the right moment

    Careful Timely information can concern a different issue entirely.

  • professional

    material

    Fits when a fact could affect a decision or legal outcome

    Careful Material has a specialized legal sense and is awkward for ordinary conversation.

  • professional

    relevant

    Fits when information bears directly on the topic

    Careful Relevant material may still be too broad to be useful at this moment.

  • formal

    applicable

    Fits when a rule or lesson can be used in the current case

    Careful Applicable concerns use, not whether a comment advances the discussion.

  • formal

    germane

    Fits when close logical connection deserves precise wording

    Careful The uncommon word can sound showy in plain guidance.

  • literary

    apt

    Fits when a remark or example fits especially well

    Careful Apt adds elegance or cleverness beyond mere relevance.

Opposites 4

  • irrelevant
  • extraneous
  • immaterial
  • tangential

Common phrases 4

  • pertinent question

    One pertinent question revealed that the two teams were using different dates.

  • pertinent information

    Please include only pertinent information in the emergency handover.

  • directly pertinent

    The earlier inspection was directly pertinent to the new safety concern.

  • pertinent detail

    One pertinent detail connected the two apparently separate failures.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: BrianAdler, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated