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
On the page, a sequence in which Zoe and Kathryn have a testy session might read as tangential, even if the dialogue sings.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
And, right now, any company with even a tangential connection to climate and energy is feeling a good deal of uncertainty.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Their company — which also provides curbside recycling pickup services in San Jose — played a tangential role in the 2006 indictment of San Jose’s then-mayor, Ron Gonzales, on bribery charges.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2025
There are implications that the two central fathers of the piece have clashed before, though the more jarring examples of tangential threads concern a performing troupe with whom Tornado has a pre-existing relationship.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
And, right now, any company with even a tangential connection to climate and energy is feeling a good deal of uncertainty.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Their company — which also provides curbside recycling pickup services in San Jose — played a tangential role in the 2006 indictment of San Jose’s then-mayor, Ron Gonzales, on bribery charges.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2025
There are implications that the two central fathers of the piece have clashed before, though the more jarring examples of tangential threads concern a performing troupe with whom Tornado has a pre-existing relationship.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
Cite this Entry
“Tangential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangential. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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