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
That’s just one of many tangential critiques the director lobs at Brazilian society in a movie that might have clocked in well under two hours without such digressions.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025
By eschewing administrative bloat and tangential initiatives, Brand New’s small team remains agile and free to react quickly to clients’ needs and cultural moments like Coachella or Fashion Week.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
And some seemingly tangential issues aren’t so tangential after all.
—Kevin Williams, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2025
Indeed, Buchwald won; the suit was famous in Hollywood circles regarding a tangential issue, namely laying bare the industry accounting practices that kept even wildly successful films from ever making a profit on paper.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025
By eschewing administrative bloat and tangential initiatives, Brand New’s small team remains agile and free to react quickly to clients’ needs and cultural moments like Coachella or Fashion Week.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
And some seemingly tangential issues aren’t so tangential after all.
—Kevin Williams, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2025
Indeed, Buchwald won; the suit was famous in Hollywood circles regarding a tangential issue, namely laying bare the industry accounting practices that kept even wildly successful films from ever making a profit on paper.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 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 28 May. 2025.
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