Standard Lemma guide

germane

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dʒɜː(ɹ)ˈmeɪn/
  • rhymes with -eɪn
  • US: /d͡ʒɝˈmeɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: JH ER0 M EY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Related to a topic of discussion or consideration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1924, W. D. Ross., translator, Aristotle, Metaphysics. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001, Book 1, Part 5. Yet this much is germane to the present inquiry:

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pertinent, relevant, apt, on-topic, applicable, apposite, well-placed, felicitous, germane, in point, material, on point, salient, to the point, valid

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

germanium tetrahydride, GeH4

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, inorganic-chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any organic derivative of this compound.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, especially, in-compounds, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A variant form of german (“having the same parents; related”), adapted in this sense in allusions to its use in Shakespeare's Hamlet (see quotations at germaine).

From germ(anium) + -ane.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: уместен (umesten) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Catalan: pertinent — related to the topic being discussed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有關 /有关 (yǒuguān) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有關係 /有关系 (yǒuguānxi) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Czech: k věci — related to the topic being discussed
  • Czech: podstatný — related to the topic being discussed
  • Czech: relevantní — related to the topic being discussed
  • Czech: významný — related to the topic being discussed
  • Czech: závažný — related to the topic being discussed
  • Danish: relevant — related to the topic being discussed
  • Danish: relevante — related to the topic being discussed
  • Dutch: relevant — related to the topic being discussed
  • Dutch: ter zake — related to the topic being discussed
  • Dutch: van toepassing — related to the topic being discussed
  • Estonian: kohane — related to the topic being discussed
  • Estonian: sobiv — related to the topic being discussed
  • Finnish: asiaankuuluva — related to the topic being discussed
  • Finnish: relevantti — related to the topic being discussed
  • Finnish: olennainen — related to the topic being discussed
  • French: pertinent — related to the topic being discussed
  • Georgian: სათანადო (satanado) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Georgian: შესაფერისი (šesaperisi) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Georgian: შესაბამისი (šesabamisi) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Georgian: რელევანტური (relevanṭuri) — related to the topic being discussed
  • German: relevant — related to the topic being discussed
  • Hindi: उपयुक्त (upyukt) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Hindi: संबंधित (sambandhit) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Irish: ábhartha — related to the topic being discussed
  • Persian: مربوط (marbut) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Polish: istotny — related to the topic being discussed
  • Polish: relewantny — related to the topic being discussed
  • Portuguese: pertinente — related to the topic being discussed
  • Portuguese: relevante — related to the topic being discussed
  • Russian: уме́стный (uméstnyj) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Russian: подходя́щий (podxodjáščij) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Russian: соотве́тствующий (sootvétstvujuščij) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Russian: релева́нтный (relevántnyj) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Russian: относя́щийся к те́ме (otnosjáščijsja k téme) — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: релева̀нтан — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: сро̏дан — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀ве̄за̄н — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: relevàntan — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: srȍdan — related to the topic being discussed
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòvēzān — related to the topic being discussed
  • Slovak: súvisiaci — related to the topic being discussed
  • Slovak: relevantný — related to the topic being discussed
  • Spanish: relacionado — related to the topic being discussed
  • Catalan: germà — germanium tetrahydride
  • Chinese Mandarin: 甲鍺烷 /甲锗烷 (jiǎzhěwán) — germanium tetrahydride
  • Dutch: germaan — germanium tetrahydride
  • Finnish: germaniumtetrahydridi — germanium tetrahydride
  • French: germane — germanium tetrahydride
  • Georgian: გერმანიუმის ტეტრაჰიდრიდი (germaniumis ṭeṭrahidridi) — germanium tetrahydride
  • German: Monogerman — germanium tetrahydride
  • Italian: germano — germanium tetrahydride
  • Portuguese: germano — germanium tetrahydride
  • Russian: тетрагидри́д герма́ния (tetragidríd germánija) — germanium tetrahydride
  • Spanish: germano — germanium tetrahydride