Pertinent
Etymology
From Latin “pertinere,” to relate to or belong, from “per-” (through) and “tenere,” to hold. Something pertinent holds through to the subject; it is attached to what matters rather than drifting near it.
adjective · /PUR-tuh-nuhnt/
Directly relevant and connected to the matter at hand.
What it names
The fact that actually bears on the question — the kind that belongs in the discussion because it holds onto the point.
Example
Keep the meeting to pertinent facts — we don’t need the backstory of every vendor.
Related idea
What is pertinent bears on the matter; what is extraneous is foreign to it; what is tangential only grazes it. Pertinent belongs; extraneous does not; tangential touches and wanders off.
See also