tangential
adjective
tan·gen·tial
tan-ˈjen(t)-shəl 
1
a
: touching lightly : incidental, peripheral
tangential involvement
also
: of little relevance
arguments tangential to the main point
b
2
: of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent
3
: acting along or lying in a tangent
tangential forces
Did you know?
Tangential Has Mathematical Roots
In geometry, a tangent is a straight line that touches a curve at a single point. So we say that someone who starts talking about one thing and gets sidetracked has gone off on a tangent. The new subject is tangential to the first subject—it touches it and moves off in a different direction.
Examples of tangential in a Sentence
Their romance is tangential to the book's main plot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Medical professionals document whether patients' thoughts are logical and linear or tangential and meandering.
—
Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
Even if an idea feels tangential or trivial, consider it.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
His meandering public speeches have, in recent months, grown longer, more tangential, and darker in tone.
—Tribune News Service, Sun Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024
The arrest of an erstwhile right-wing dictator dramatically narrows the options for Venezuela’s supposedly socialist revolutionaries, underlining, once more, how tangential ideology is to understanding the crisis.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for tangential 
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Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
Even if an idea feels tangential or trivial, consider it.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
His meandering public speeches have, in recent months, grown longer, more tangential, and darker in tone.
—Tribune News Service, Sun Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024
The arrest of an erstwhile right-wing dictator dramatically narrows the options for Venezuela’s supposedly socialist revolutionaries, underlining, once more, how tangential ideology is to understanding the crisis.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2020
See all Example Sentences for tangential
Dictionary Entries Near tangential
Cite this Entry
“Tangential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangential. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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