slightly irrelevant

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "slightly irrelevant" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not entirely related or applicable to the main topic, but still has some minor connection. Example: "While the discussion about the weather was slightly irrelevant to our main agenda, it did lighten the mood in the room."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Foreign policy conservatives, on the other hand, often considered him slightly irrelevant to the struggle with the Soviet Union.

The New York Times - Books

"So the whole notion of what an actor is, how they use their voice and stand on a stage, is slightly irrelevant to us.

The Guardian

"The basic cast are now adrift," is how Brooker describes it, "and Nathan is starting to worry that he's old and maybe slightly irrelevant".

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Galaga Original and Classic Pac-Man, therefore, feel slightly irrelevant in the company of recent updates Pac-Man Championship Edition and Galaga Legions, two Xbox Live Arcade titles making their 3DS debuts.

The Guardian - Tech

She writes with an instinctive grasp of the adolescent point of view, in which concepts like personal freedom and self-/determination have the highest emotional charge and adults are powerful but slightly irrelevant beings.

The New York Times

You mean isn't that slightly irrelevant to the point I was making?

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Finally, there is this totally irrelevant but slightly humorous data point: 1percentt of respondents believe the president is a Mormon, while 8percentt believe he is a Muslim.

Huffington Post

Worse, when individuals do evaluate charities with data, they often focus on factors like "overhead" or the "fundraising ratio", which is at best only slightly beneficial and at worst irrelevant to what the beneficiaries actually want.

Huffington Post

The expert rating of the relevance of each item for meeting the objective of measuring and testing patient knowledge of depression is summarized in Table 4. Items were rated as follows: 1 as irrelevant, 2 as slightly relevant, 3 as moderately relevant, 4 as significantly relevant, and 5 as highly relevant.

BMC Psychiatry

When bought with a contract, and therefore the price differences made more or less irrelevant, the decision is slightly less clear, but the Nexus 5 still holds its own.

The Guardian - Tech

Eleven sentences in each condition (with the proviso of at least one per trial) were altered slightly through the insertion of an irrelevant neutral word, as noted above.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "slightly irrelevant" to introduce a point that, while not central, offers context or a contrasting view without derailing the main argument.

Common error

Avoid using "slightly irrelevant" when the information is completely unrelated; opt for stronger terms like "irrelevant" or "unrelated" to accurately reflect the disconnect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "slightly irrelevant" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, modifying a noun or idea to indicate a minor degree of irrelevance. Ludwig AI indicates the phrase is correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "slightly irrelevant" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that conveys a minor degree of irrelevance. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for contexts where information is not entirely on point, yet retains some tangential significance. The phrase sees prevalent use in News & Media, offering a nuanced way to acknowledge information that isn't central to a discussion. To avoid misrepresentation, be cautious to use stronger terms when dealing with completely unrelated information.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat unrelated

Focuses on the lack of connection rather than the degree of irrelevance.

marginally pertinent

Highlights the slight degree of relevance that exists, the opposite perspective compared to QUERY.

a bit tangential

Implies a deviation from the main subject, differing in focus from direct irrelevance.

not entirely applicable

Emphasizes the lack of applicability more than the irrelevance itself.

of minor consequence

Shifts the focus from relevance to the importance of the subject matter.

hardly related

Highlights minimal connection and overall correlation to the topic.

remotely connected

Focuses on the distant and indirect connection to the main topic.

tangentially related

Highlights how far from the main topic this is.

somewhat peripheral

Suggests the information is on the edge of the main subject.

inconsequentially linked

Underlines the slight and unimportant nature of the link.

FAQs

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

You can use "slightly irrelevant" to describe something that is not entirely related to the topic, but still has some minor connection. For instance, "While the weather discussion was "slightly irrelevant" to the main agenda, it did lighten the mood."

What phrases can I use instead of "slightly irrelevant"?

Alternatives include "somewhat unrelated", "marginally pertinent", or "a bit tangential" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "slightly irrelevant" or "irrelevant"?

Use "slightly irrelevant" when there is a minimal connection, and "irrelevant" when there is no connection at all. The difference lies in the degree to which the information is related to the main subject.

What is the difference between "slightly irrelevant" and "not entirely applicable"?

"Slightly irrelevant" means the information is off-topic but still has some relevance. "Not entirely applicable" emphasizes that the information does not fully apply to the situation at hand, but might still have some bearing.