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
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
Much like Kiryu's spy caper, Pirate Yakuza takes what would be tangential in the main series — a whacky combat arena — and centers a plot around it.
—James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
On the page, a sequence in which Zoe and Kathryn have a testy session might read as tangential, even if the dialogue sings.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
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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
Much like Kiryu's spy caper, Pirate Yakuza takes what would be tangential in the main series — a whacky combat arena — and centers a plot around it.
—James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
On the page, a sequence in which Zoe and Kathryn have a testy session might read as tangential, even if the dialogue sings.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 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 20 May. 2025.
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