Which word means not relevant to the matter at hand?

Which word means not relevant to the matter at hand?

• A. Tangible
• B. Immaterial
• C. Substantive
• D. Material

Answer: (B)

Immaterial describes something that doesn’t affect the issue being considered and can be set aside when making a decision. If a detail is immaterial, it’s irrelevant to the outcome. For example, the color of the report’s cover is immaterial to whether the conclusions are valid. Tangible refers to something physical and touchable, which doesn’t speak to relevance. Substantive means having real importance or significance to the matter, so it points to relevance rather than irrelevance. Material often means related to the matter and potentially decisive, again about relevance. So immaterial is the best fit for “not relevant to the matter at hand.”

Immaterial describes something that doesn’t affect the issue being considered and can be set aside when making a decision. If a detail is immaterial, it’s irrelevant to the outcome. For example, the color of the report’s cover is immaterial to whether the conclusions are valid. Tangible refers to something physical and touchable, which doesn’t speak to relevance. Substantive means having real importance or significance to the matter, so it points to relevance rather than irrelevance. Material often means related to the matter and potentially decisive, again about relevance. So immaterial is the best fit for “not relevant to the matter at hand.”