as in irrelevant
having little to do with the matter at hand
Your point is tangential to the main objective of this meeting so please save it for later.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tangential
And yet off the court, an eventful period to say the least, in several cases with a degree of Heat impact, some directly, some tangential.
—
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Since its 2023 debut, Peacock's The Traitors has captured the zeitgeist thanks to its motley crew of actors, comedians, reality TV stars, and tangential British royalty.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
Moore also worked on many causes tangential to Black nationalism, including lowering the price of milk for children and boycotting goods from Nazi Germany.
—Dara T. Mathis, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Both have some tangential experience of shootings in public places, a sad commentary on modern life, due to gunfire at malls where their friends either worked or were shopping.
—Sophie Comeau, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Since its 2023 debut, Peacock's The Traitors has captured the zeitgeist thanks to its motley crew of actors, comedians, reality TV stars, and tangential British royalty.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
Moore also worked on many causes tangential to Black nationalism, including lowering the price of milk for children and boycotting goods from Nazi Germany.
—Dara T. Mathis, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Both have some tangential experience of shootings in public places, a sad commentary on modern life, due to gunfire at malls where their friends either worked or were shopping.
—Sophie Comeau, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangential
Adjective
-
That's almost irrelevant, though, LaFrance adds.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
An education is practically irrelevant.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That means mathematicians can approximate these rotations with a straight line that touches the circle at just one point — a tangent line.—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Dec. 2025
-
The slope, or steepness, of the tangent line measures how quickly the function is changing at that point.—
Solomon Adams,
WIRED,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
So even though the literature on the link between menstruation and cramps is limited, the peripheral benefits of the nutrient may still contribute to easier and less painful periods.—
Audrey Bruno,
SELF,
19 Feb. 2026
-
What was once dismissed as peripheral is increasingly harder to ignore.—
Anna Lee Iijima,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangential. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
