irrelevantly
1
4.6
- adverb
- /ˌɪrɪˈlɛvəntli/
:
irrelevantemente
- He avoided answering the question and spoke irrelevantly about his weekend plans.
- say irrelevantly
- perhaps irrelevantly
Examples
-
I think before you demand solemnly (but to be honest, irrelevantly in terms of the influence you wield) that "A new generation of nuclear power stations should be built only with unprecedented scrutiny and transparency" (ibid), you need to take a reality check.
Blog text (9) -
"She was a pretty thing, as I recall," Oldfield said irrelevantly.
Fiction book (1990) -
"When did you come over here?" he asked irrelevantly.
Fiction book (1990) -
"If I were your mother," says Victoria irrelevantly, or perhaps not so, "I'd come to help you a little around the house."
Fiction book (1993) -
To which the cash at night's end is like so much irrelevantly dirty linen.
Fiction book (1990) -
"Well, I like Ike," Mama said irrelevantly.
Fiction book (1997) -
Her mind rambled on irrelevantly.
Fiction book (1997) -
Now, none of this means that the neuroscientific perspective with which we began is being wrongly or irrelevantly interpreted.
-
I suppose, said Charlie irrelevantly, that today nobody runs the 38th; the gangs just fight over the crack trade, and nobody's in charge.
Fiction book (2001) -
During the debate, she kept bringing up ideas that were irrelevantly tied to the topic.
Synonyms
1
8.2
In a way that is not important and has no effect
In a way not connected to the main topic
Not important and not likely to change the result
Does not follow a main subject, so topics appear mixed
Antonyms
How Relevant
88
1.4
1
5.4
24
4.2
6
7.7
4
6.8
1
4.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
irrelevantly = irrelevant (transparent) = ir + relevant + ly
Standard adverb formation from the adjective 'irrelevant' using the productive suffix '-ly'.
Etymology
Irrelevantly comes from ir- 'not' + relevant, and relevant is like the common word relate, which means 'to connect'. So to speak irrelevantly is to speak in a way that is 'not connected' to the main topic.