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

No matter the times or intervals, though, Telemundo will fill days with a variety of shows that will range from serious fútbol analysis to culture and tangential topics. —Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026

Driven by a mixture of FOMO and faith in AI’s growth-at-any-cost business model, these investors and others like them have piled into virtually any company with even a tangential relationship to the AI industry. —Allie Canal, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026

Not a single line of dialogue feels unnecessary, or a subplot tangential. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026

And studies show that maintaining even a small set of meaningful professional relationships has a stronger impact on career opportunities than amassing hundreds of weak or tangential connections. —Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

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