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
Not all of the figures are directly connected to Handel, and at times King’s deep background verges on the tangential.
—
Jan Swafford, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
One of the clear, if tangential, takeaways from Monsó’s book is that predation is a very tough business.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The clip that Baier asked Harris to react to was actually of Trump (James Austin Johnson) making one of his tangential ramblings at an all-female town hall–the one filled with his supporters, which Fox didn’t disclose.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2024
The caliber resulted in the filing of six patents for its tangential brake, dual-function spring mechanism, flexible corrector, dual-function spring, flexible plate, and positioning mechanism.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tangential 
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Jan Swafford, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
One of the clear, if tangential, takeaways from Monsó’s book is that predation is a very tough business.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The clip that Baier asked Harris to react to was actually of Trump (James Austin Johnson) making one of his tangential ramblings at an all-female town hall–the one filled with his supporters, which Fox didn’t disclose.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2024
The caliber resulted in the filing of six patents for its tangential brake, dual-function spring mechanism, flexible corrector, dual-function spring, flexible plate, and positioning mechanism.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2024
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 1 Dec. 2024.
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