matteroffactrelevant

Matteroffactrelevant is a neologism used to characterize statements, arguments, or records that include only information directly connected to verifiable facts about a topic, while excluding tangential speculation or rhetorical flourishes. The idea is to maintain clarity by limiting content to what is materially pertinent to the matter under discussion.

The term blends "matter of fact" with "relevant" and has appeared in online debates, editorials, and academic discussions since the early 2020s. It is not associated with a single author or tradition, but functions as a heuristic for evaluating the relevance of information in evidence-based discourse.

In law and policy, matteroffactrelevant resembles a strict relevance standard, guiding admissibility and decision-making toward facts that bear on the issue. In journalism and science communication, proponents use it to advocate for concise reporting and transparent sourcing. In data-oriented fields, the concept mirrors ideas of feature relevance and information retrieval, where only facts that improve interpretability or predictive value are emphasized.

Critics argue that overemphasizing immediate relevance can erase important context, history, or uncertainty, and may privilege established narratives over exploratory inquiry. Practically, applying matteroffactrelevant requires explicit criteria for relevance and a method for validating facts, to prevent cherry-picking or misinterpretation.

See also: relevance, materiality, evidence-based practice, fact-checking, critical thinking.