extraneous
Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject at hand
Examples
In a meeting
“Let's remove extraneous details from the presentation to stay focused.”
Over coffee
“Your comments about his outfit are extraneous to the actual problem.”
Why this word
irrelevant
extraneous means coming from outside and not belonging, while irrelevant just means not pertinent
unnecessary
extraneous implies foreign to the essential nature, while unnecessary just means not needed
extra
extraneous suggests something that shouldn't be there at all, while extra just means additional
Usage tip
Use when something is off-topic or unnecessary. Stronger than 'irrelevant' and implies it should be removed.
Etymology
Latin 'extraneus' — 'extra' (outside), meaning external or foreign
Get a new word every morning
One precise word per day. Under 60 seconds to read. Free forever.
Related words
relevant
Closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand.
tangentially
In a way that is only slightly related or relevant
obsolete
No longer in use or no longer useful
highlight
To draw attention to the most important parts
tangent
A topic or direction that diverges from the main subject
narrow
To reduce the range or scope of something