Definition of tangential
1a : touching lightly : incidental, peripheral tangential involvement; also : of little relevance arguments tangential to the main pointb : divergent, digressive
2 : of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent
3 : acting along or lying in a tangent tangential forces
Explore Merriam-Webster
Examples of tangential in a Sentence
Their romance is tangential to the book's main plot.
Recent Examples of tangential from the Web
-
There could be some tangential cost in Hill and Randolph making the Kings a better team ahead of schedule, but an organization can trade that possibility for the sake of building better habits.
-
The absences raised questions in Cullerton's mind about where negotiations, particularly on the tangential Rauner demands, stand.
-
Point guard Jameer Nelson, once the heart and soul of the locker room, gradually found himself in an increasingly tangential role.
-
The fight over one provision — to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood for a single year — may be tangential to the wider war over the American health care system.
-
Political discourse often strays from the merits of issues to personal or tangential matters.
-
The Phillies have also been mentioned in tangential connection with a couple of high school pitchers, Carlsbad HS’s Trevor Rogers and Texan Shane Baz.
-
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The broadcast team on the NBA Finals has been pretty solid, save for the occasional rambling interlude or tangential comment.
-
Whether Johnson actually looks like Saban or not --more recent photos show the resemblance as tangential at best--is irrelevant.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tangential.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
First Known Use of tangential
1630
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
TANGENTIAL Defined for English Language Learners
tangential
playDefinition of tangential for English Language Learners
-
: slightly or indirectly related to something : not closely connected to something
-
geometry : relating to a tangent : in or along a tangent
Learn More about tangential
-
See words that rhyme with tangential Nglish: Translation of tangential for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tangential for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up tangential? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!