pertinent
adjective
per·ti·nent
ˈpər-tə-nənt 
ˈpərt-nənt
: having a clear decisive relevance to the matter in hand
pertinently
adverb
Synonyms
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
By both sides agreeing to do this now, the Hornets can jumpstart the process of sifting through candidates and gathering any pertinent intel before other teams start doing the same.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
In particular, the discourse within California regarding reparative justice serves as a pertinent example.
—Britney Porter, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pertinent 
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024
In particular, the discourse within California regarding reparative justice serves as a pertinent example.
—Britney Porter, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pertinent
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pertinent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pertinent
Cite this Entry
“Pertinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pertinent. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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