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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
relevant on the topic
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "relevant on the topic" is not correct in standard English; the correct form is "relevant to the topic." You can use it when discussing information, ideas, or arguments that are applicable or significant to a specific subject matter.
Example: "The research findings are highly relevant to the topic of climate change and its impact on biodiversity."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Science
News & Media
Wiki
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
1 human-written examples
1– 4 This review includes results from the literature judged to be relevant on the topic.
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
59 human-written examples
Part of the effort focused on tutorials relevant to the topic of the conference aimed at communicating frontier research areas in one discipline to the others.
The data extraction phase involved identifying findings relevant to the topic, focusing on the authors' secondary interpretations – i.e., the authors' "data-driven and integrated discoveries, judgments, and/or pronouncements researchers offer about the phenomena, events, or cases under investigation" [ 26].
Science
Remember that any activities must be relevant to the topic you are speaking on.
Wiki
In a letter to John O. Brennan, President Obama's counterterrorism adviser and his nominee for C.I.A. director, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said he had asked repeatedly but unsuccessfully to see the legal opinions, though he added that he had been given "some relevant information on the topic".
News & Media
In the following, a number of relevant articles on the topic is reported.
Various relevant works on the topic exist in the literature ("Related work and contributions").
A literature search is performed to identify relevant studies on the topic.
Science
We expected highly relevant articles on the topic would be published in Nature Genetics and PLOS genetics.
In particular, Turner [36] revises the relevant literature on the topic, underlining that CBA usefulness is particularly true if moving from a prescriptive role to that of information and decision support and when scarcity of resources exists.
Following the most relevant literature on the topic and to investigate this last relation, we decided to perform a correspondence test to our sample such as in Riach and Rich (2002) and Drydakis (2009) among others.
Science
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Use the grammatically correct and widely accepted phrase "relevant to the topic" instead of "relevant on the topic".
Common error
Avoid using "on" when "to" is the correct preposition to indicate relevance. Always use "relevant to the topic."
Source & Trust
79%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "relevant on the topic" functions as an adjectival phrase aiming to describe the degree of connection or importance that something has in relation to a specific subject. However, Ludwig AI points out that this is not the correct form.
Frequent in
Science
35%
News & Media
25%
Wiki
20%
Less common in
Formal & Business
10%
Encyclopedias
5%
Reference
5%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, while the phrase "relevant on the topic" might be understood, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "relevant to the topic". As Ludwig AI explains, using "to" is essential for grammatical correctness. While examples of the phrase exist, predominantly in science, news and media, and wiki contexts, it is better to opt for alternatives like "germane to the topic" or "applicable to the topic" to ensure clarity and precision in both formal and informal communications.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
relevant to the subject
Replaces 'on the topic' with 'to the subject', a more standard prepositional phrase.
germane to the topic
Substitutes 'relevant' with 'germane', indicating a close and appropriate relationship.
applicable to the topic
Uses 'applicable' instead of 'relevant', suggesting suitability for the topic.
pertinent to the subject matter
Replaces 'relevant' with 'pertinent' and 'topic' with 'subject matter', increasing formality.
related to the theme
Uses 'related' as a synonym for 'relevant', and 'theme' for 'topic'.
on-topic
A shorter, more direct way of saying something is within the scope of the discussion.
connected to the matter at hand
More descriptive, indicating a clear link to the current discussion.
bearing on the issue
Implies a direct influence or impact on the specific issue.
apropos of the subject
A more formal and less common way to express relevance.
within the scope of the discussion
Focuses on whether something falls within the boundaries of the conversation.
FAQs
What is the correct way to say something is related to a topic?
The correct way to express that something is related to a topic is to say it's "relevant to the topic". The phrasing "relevant on the topic" is considered grammatically incorrect.
Are there alternatives to saying "relevant to the topic"?
Yes, you can use alternatives like "germane to the topic", "pertinent to the subject", or "applicable to the topic".
Which is correct: "relevant to the topic" or "relevant on the topic"?
"Relevant to the topic" is the correct and standard English phrasing. "Relevant on the topic" is grammatically incorrect.
Is "relevant on the topic" ever acceptable?
While understandable, "relevant on the topic" is not considered standard English. It is always preferable to use "relevant to the topic".
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
79%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested