relevance
UK[ˈrel.ə.vəns]US[ˈrel.ə.vəns]
n
the quality of being closely connected with and important to something else
n
the practical usefulness or significance of something, especially in a particular context
Morpheme Breakdown
re
lev
ance
re
again
lev
lift
ance
state or quality
Etymology
the word 'relevance' traces its lineage to latin, entering english via medieval french. its core is built on the latin verb 'relevare', meaning "to lift up again" or "to relieve", which itself combines the prefix 're-' (again) and 'levare' (to lift). the conceptual shift from a physical "lifting" to a figurative "bearing upon" or "connection to" a matter occurred in scholarly latin and later in french, where 'relevant' meant "pertinent". the suffix '-ance' was added to form the noun denoting the state or quality of being connected and pertinent. thus, the modern abstract sense of importance and logical connection evolved from the ancient idea of something being "lifted back up" into view or consideration.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + lev (lift) + ance (state or quality)
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
lev: latin origin, from the root 'levare' meaning "to lift" or "to lighten".
ance: latin origin (via french), a suffix forming nouns indicating a state, quality, or action.
Examples
the judge questioned the relevance of the evidence to the case.
this historical data has little relevance to our current economic model.
she emphasized the continuing relevance of classical philosophy in modern ethics.