germane

adjective

ger·​mane (ˌ)jər-ˈmān 

1

: being at once relevant and appropriate : fitting

omit details that are not germane to the discussion

2

obsolete : closely akin

germanely adverb

Did you know?

“Wert thou a Leopard, thou wert Germane to the Lion.” So wrote William Shakespeare in his five-act tragedy Timon of Athens, using an old (and now-obsolete) sense of germane meaning “closely akin.” Germane comes to us from the Middle English word germain, meaning “having the same parents.” (An early noun sense of germane also referred specifically to children of the same parents.) Today, something said to be germane is figuratively “related” in that it is relevant or fitting to something else, as when music critic Amanda Petrusich wrote of an album by the Chicks: “‘Gaslighter’ is brasher and more pop-oriented than anything the band has done before. Part of this shift feels germane to our era—the idea of genre, as it applies to contemporary music, is growing less and less relevant—but it also feels like a final repudiation of country music, and of a community that mostly failed to support or to understand one of its biggest acts.”

Synonyms

• applicable
• apposite
• apropos
• material
• pertinent
• pointed
• relative
• relevant

Choose the Right Synonym for germane

relevant, germane, material, pertinent, apposite, applicable, apropos mean relating to or bearing upon the matter in hand.

relevant implies a traceable, significant, logical connection.

found material relevant to her case

germane may additionally imply a fitness for or appropriateness to the situation or occasion.

a point not germane to the discussion

material implies so close a relationship that it cannot be dispensed with without serious alteration of the case.

facts material to the investigation

pertinent stresses a clear and decisive relevance.

a pertinent observation

apposite suggests a felicitous relevance.

add an apposite quotation to the definition

applicable suggests the fitness of bringing a general rule or principle to bear upon a particular case.

the rule is not applicable in this case

apropos suggests being both relevant and opportune.

the quip was apropos

Examples of germane in a Sentence

The press material for this film contains some notes made by the Dardenne brothers during the shooting. Such material is usually disposable, but these notes are germane.. —Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic, 3 Feb. 2003

Bork and his supporters argued that his "academic" writings and his speeches were not germane to whether he should be confirmed. —Elizabeth Drew, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 1987

From time to time, engineers and scientists hold conferences … where they trot out ideas they have developed, frequently ideas germane to solving practical problems. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985

facts germane to the dispute

my personal opinion isn't germane to our discussion of the facts of the case

Recent Examples on the Web

We’ve been forced to guess about a succession plan, especially with Pegula refusing to grant interviews or provide any germane insight. —Tim Graham, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024

But speaking softly is particularly germane when aggression arises out of weakness, since harsh rhetoric can needlessly provoke leaders who already have their backs against the wall. —Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016

The British government and the germane government, the two antagonists in the war at that point, were both engaged in propaganda campaigns in the United States. —CBS News, 1 Dec. 2024

No matter, none of this is germane to most of the stocks in our portfolio. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English germain, literally, having the same parents, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

germane

adjective

ger·​mane (ˌ)jər-ˈmān 

: both relevant and appropriate

a germane comment

germanely adverb