tangential

adjective tan·gen·tial \ tan-ˈjen(t)-shəl \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of tangential

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

play \tan-ˈjen(t)-sh(ə-)lē\ adverb

See tangential defined for English-language learners

Examples of tangential in a Sentence

Their romance is tangential to the book's main plot.

Recent Examples of tangential from the Web

President Obama would sometimes roll his eyes at Vice President Biden’s habit of derailing meetings with tangential points.

— andy lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, "James Comey's 'A Higher Loyalty': Book Review," 16 Apr. 2018
Others have only tangential contact with this inner circle of anti-logging conspirators.

— michael upchurch, BostonGlobe.com, "Richard Powers sees the forest and the trees," 6 Apr. 2018
Seagal’s interest in cryptocurrency has a tangential but fascinating geopolitical angle.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Steven Seagal-Endorsed Bitcoin Knockoff Gets Strong Regulatory Warnings," 25 Mar. 2018
Alabama also has a tangential role in the most important quarterback competition in the ACC.

— andy staples, SI.com, "What's a Reasonable Expectation for Texas in Year Two Under Tom Herman?," 7 Mar. 2018
Yes, Franzen has long waxed poetic about his love of birdwatching, as well as his tangential interest in murdering cats.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "We Regret to Inform You That Jonathan Franzen Has Compared Birdwatching to Sex," 19 Mar. 2018
The Semi also demonstrates what seems to be Tesla's modus operandi: build new businesses based on markets tangential to your area of expertise.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Reader pics show Tesla Semi on I-680, en route from Gigafactory to Fremont," 9 Mar. 2018
These scenes are compelling but, like a third story strand involving a grieving mother (Thandi Makhubele) seeking justice for her daughter's disappearance, can ultimately feel more tangential than organic.

— gary goldstein, latimes.com, "Forest Whitaker stars as Desmond Tutu in slack political drama 'The Forgiven'," 8 Mar. 2018
Adding a layer to the intrigue is the naming of former Washington guards Markelle Fultz and Dejounte Murray in the Yahoo Sports report as having been paid by ASM during Romar’s tenure, although the connection there appears tangential at this stage.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "With Sean Miller and Arizona at the Center, College Hoops Scandal Hits New Level of Volatility," 25 Feb. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

TANGENTIAL Defined for English Language Learners

tangential

adjective

Definition 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

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tangential

Definition of tangential

tangentially

Examples of tangential in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tangential from the Web

tangential Has Mathematical Roots

First Known Use of tangential

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TANGENTIAL Defined for English Language Learners

tangential

Definition of tangential for English Language Learners

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tangential

Definition of tangential

tangentially

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tangential Has Mathematical Roots

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TANGENTIAL Defined for English Language Learners

tangential

Definition of tangential for English Language Learners

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