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

From her career beginnings alongside Ansel Elgort in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, through her recent starring role in Jamie Lloyd’s Evita, Zegler’s public narrative has been defined not by her (immense) talent but by various tangential squabbles. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 July 2025

Significant policy changes that have a tangential or incidental budgetary impact are subject to 60-vote point-of-order objections. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 28 June 2025

The fraud that ensnared Middlesex Truck and Coach as a tangential victim covered thousands of miles via electronic byways. —Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025

When every interaction is monitored, analyzed, and optimized, the freedom to make mistakes, to pursue tangential interests, and to engage in purposeless exploration may be compromised. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for tangential

• credential
• prudential
• sequential
• torrential
• circumferential
• inconsequential
• consequential
• deferential
• evidential
• existential
• exponential
• influential