not very relevant

USAGE SUMMARY

"not very relevant" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not closely related to what is being discussed. For example, "My thoughts about the political situation are not very relevant to the discussion about local businesses."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

It's not very relevant".

The New York Times - Sports

"The northern front is not very relevant any more for these deployments.

The Guardian

Just being competitive was not very relevant because the market was right there for you.

Harvard Business Review

The problem - as I've mentioned before - is that it's just not very relevant to the UK.

BBC

Production half a century from now is not very relevant to either politicians or policy makers.

The New York Times

"The old contextual model is not very relevant anymore," Jesse Reiser, an American architect working in Dubai, told me recently.

The New York Times - Magazine

Yet for a certain type of child, the need for a father is deemed (pdf) "not very relevant".

The Guardian - Opinion

It seems like a holdover term from high school English class, useful for discussing novels, but not very relevant to the process of writing them.

The New York Times - Arts

If findings about evangelicals who are voting for Democrats are not very relevant now, they can nonetheless provide an important baseline for measuring changes in the future.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

2 human-written examples

The works in the exhibition, including photographs, installations and film clips (spiced up by some not-very-relevant erotic engravings by Picasso), were not selected by an art curator, but by two French intellectuals, Arlette Farge, a historian, and Rose-Marie Lagrave, a sociologist.

The New York Times - Arts

Repetition is how we got the not-very-relevant (at the time) multiplication tables into our head when we were children so that we could exploit them to advantage as adults.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "not very relevant", ensure the context clearly indicates what it lacks relevance to. Provide enough information for the reader to understand the connection (or lack thereof).

Common error

Avoid using "not very relevant" when something is completely irrelevant. "Completely irrelevant" or "irrelevant" is a better fit for those cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not very relevant" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or concept to indicate a limited degree of pertinence or applicability. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this is a common and grammatically sound construction in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "not very relevant" is a versatile phrase used to express a limited degree of pertinence or applicability. It's grammatically sound and commonly found in diverse contexts, as supported by Ludwig AI's analysis. While it conveys a sense of reduced importance, it doesn't equate to complete irrelevance. Remember to choose the phrase that accurately reflects the level of connection you intend to convey. Consider alternatives such as "somewhat irrelevant" or "slightly pertinent" for subtle differences in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat irrelevant

Replaces "not very" with "somewhat", indicating a slightly lesser degree of irrelevance.

slightly pertinent

Uses "slightly" as a softener before "pertinent", implying minimal relevance.

marginally applicable

Employs "marginally" to suggest a minimal degree of applicability.

of limited relevance

Uses a more formal structure to convey that the relevance is restricted.

not particularly germane

Substitutes "relevant" with "germane" and adds "particularly" for emphasis, but maintains a similar meaning.

scarcely related

Uses "scarcely" to emphasize the weak relationship between things.

tangentially connected

Implies a slight or indirect connection.

hardly significant

Focuses on the lack of significance rather than direct relevance.

peripheral to the issue

Indicates that something is on the edge of the main topic.

not of great consequence

Shifts the focus to the lack of importance or impact.

FAQs

How can I use "not very relevant" in a sentence?

Use "not very relevant" to indicate that something is only slightly connected or pertinent to the matter at hand. For example, "While your suggestion is appreciated, it's "not very relevant" to our current project goals".

What phrases can replace "not very relevant"?

Alternatives include phrases like "somewhat irrelevant", "slightly pertinent", or "of limited relevance", depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to say "irrelevant" or "not very relevant"?

"Irrelevant" implies a complete lack of connection, while "not very relevant" suggests a weak or distant connection. Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the degree of connection or pertinence.

What is the difference between "not relevant" and "not very relevant"?

"Not relevant" means something is completely unrelated or inapplicable. "Not very relevant" suggests a slight connection or applicability, but not enough to be significant. The latter implies a degree of connection, however minimal.