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
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Recent Examples of tangential
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
Homelessness — and affordability, housing availability and myriad other issues tangential to a very visible problem in California — is among the many concerns Californians have that the bevy of gubernatorial candidates will be asked to address as the campaign for governor continues this year.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tangential
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
Homelessness — and affordability, housing availability and myriad other issues tangential to a very visible problem in California — is among the many concerns Californians have that the bevy of gubernatorial candidates will be asked to address as the campaign for governor continues this year.
—Linh Tat, Oc Register, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tangential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangential
Adjective
-
So to be honest, that’s pretty irrelevant.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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At this point, though, long-term success may be considered irrelevant within the department.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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The same study notes that the hormonal cascade may even dull pain by activating peripheral nerves and autonomic pathways.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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Arve Henriksen’s trumpet is a celestial contrast to the vocals’ groundedness, a floater at the edge of the song’s smoky peripheral vision.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tangential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangential. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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