irrelevant thought

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "irrelevant thought" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a thought or idea that is not related to the main topic or subject being discussed. Example: "During the meeting, I had an irrelevant thought about what to have for dinner later."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

And that's not an irrelevant thought, as we look back at the financial scandals of the past few decades.

The Guardian - Books

The aim of meditative practices is to "reduce or eliminate irrelevant thought processes through training of internalized attention" [ 15].

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

(This wasn't one of the usual irrelevant thoughts that came to his mind when he saw tourists wandering around, gawking, showing disrespect not only for the place they were in but for themselves, too, in the way they walked, wobble-footed, talking too loud and looking too quickly).

The New Yorker

Just because a person chooses not to speak out of turn, or abruptly blurt out, what are often irrelevant, thoughts, does not mean that they do not have opinions of their own.

Huffington Post

The NBRS measures self-observed alertness, distractibility, intrusion of irrelevant thoughts, coherence of conversion, anxiety, tension, disinhibitory behavior, motor behavior and expressive/receptive language ability.

Bone Marrow Transplantation

Balance Your Mind Settle down your mind, cast off unbalanced and irrelevant thoughts, and find its spiritual Middle-Chi.

WikiHow

Do not let yourself be carried away by irrelevant thoughts or associated thoughts that might arise, such as about the shop were you bought it, about how and where it was grown, its nutritive value, etc. Stay calm, while trying to ignore these thoughts and not be interested in them.

WikiHow

Furthermore, research on test anxiety shows that working under stress impairs attention and produces cognitive interference and task-irrelevant thoughts that result in reduced levels of task performance (Deffenbacher 1978; Eysenck et al. 2007).

Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training

Existing research shows that stress affects performance by the impairment of memory retrieval and by cognitive interference and task-irrelevant thoughts (e.g., Cornelisse et al. 2011; Eysenck et al. 2007; Vogel and Schwabe 2016).

Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training

Another possibility is that RT slowing reflects a distracting influence of task-irrelevant thoughts elicited by emotional cues, which compete for processing resources.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

The suggestion is that difficulties in both proactive interference and interference from habitual and distracting task-irrelevant thoughts (as found in those with a history of PTSD) can be seen as different exemplars of a broader interference vulnerability.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing, be mindful of potential "irrelevant thoughts" that may disrupt the flow of your argument. Keep your focus on the central topic to maintain clarity.

Common error

Avoid including excessive detail that stems from "irrelevant thoughts", as it can confuse the reader and dilute the impact of your main points.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "irrelevant thought" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where "irrelevant" modifies the noun "thought". It describes a particular quality of a thought, indicating that it is not pertinent or related to the current context. Ludwig confirms its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "irrelevant thought" effectively describes a thought that lacks pertinence to the current context. While Ludwig indicates it's grammatically correct and usable, its frequency is relatively rare. It appears in diverse sources, including news, scientific articles, and wiki entries, suggesting a neutral register. Ludwig's examples highlight its use in discussions about focus and mental discipline. When writing, being mindful of irrelevant thoughts and their potential to disrupt clarity is key.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

pointless thought

Emphasizes the lack of purpose or value in the thought.

extraneous thought

Highlights the thought's disconnection from the current context.

unrelated thought

Focuses on the absence of a connection to the main subject.

unnecessary thought

Suggests the thought is not required or needed.

trivial thought

Indicates the thought is of little importance or significance.

inappropriate thought

Highlights that thought doesn't match the standards and decorum for proper thought.

insignificant thought

Focuses on a lack of impact, or minor importance of the thought.

useless thought

Emphasizes thought has no practicality or benefit.

distracting thought

Highlights the thought is drawing attention away from the current focus.

tangential thought

The thought barely relates to the main topic.

FAQs

How can I use "irrelevant thought" in a sentence?

You can use "irrelevant thought" to describe a thought that is not related to the current topic or discussion. For instance, "During the lecture, an irrelevant thought about my weekend plans popped into my head".

What are some alternatives to "irrelevant thought"?

Some alternatives include "pointless thought", "extraneous thought", or "unrelated thought". The best choice depends on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "irrelevant thought"?

It's appropriate when you want to highlight that a particular thought lacks significance or connection to the subject matter at hand. It's useful in discussions about focus, concentration, or mental discipline.

Is there a difference between "irrelevant thought" and "distracting thought"?

While similar, "irrelevant thought" emphasizes the lack of connection to the topic, while "distracting thought" highlights the thought's ability to draw attention away from something else. They often overlap but have slightly different emphases.