having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
"the scientist corresponds with colleagues in order to learn about matters relevant to her own research"
Directly related, connected, or pertinent to a topic.
"The manager asked for data relevant to last quarter's sales figures."
In plain English: Something is relevant if it matters to what you are talking about or doing right now.
"The teacher asked which point in the essay was most relevant to the question."
Usage: Use relevant when describing something that has a direct connection to the matter at hand rather than being merely interesting. This word is often confused with similar terms like applicable, but it specifically emphasizes pertinence to a specific subject or discussion.
The word relevant entered English in the 1700s from Scots, where it originally meant "legally pertinent." It ultimately traces back to Latin roots meaning "to lift up again" or "relieve," which evolved over centuries to describe something that is directly connected to a matter at hand.