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

: divergent, digressive

2

: of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent

3

: acting along or lying in a tangent

tangential forces

tangentially

tan-ˈjen(t)-sh(ə-)lē 

adverb

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

The collection of these tangential moments (of which there are plenty) ring more memorable than the core narrative and its obvious message. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 17 May 2024

But there is also something improvisational and, at times, disarmingly nonchalant about the way Bradford invokes certain more tangential narratives. —Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 5 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 2