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
The music felt almost secondary to apocryphal stories tangential to the music.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
Kaiser said if allowed to stand, the ruling will have the effect of making arson of property belonging to any entity receiving federal funding, regardless of how tangential the connection, a federal crime.
—Arkansas Online, 21 July 2025
Debate over tangential issues, such as dog tethering, bogged down the bill.
—Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Often small details are inflated to comedic levels but prove tangential to the episode.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
Kaiser said if allowed to stand, the ruling will have the effect of making arson of property belonging to any entity receiving federal funding, regardless of how tangential the connection, a federal crime.
—Arkansas Online, 21 July 2025
Debate over tangential issues, such as dog tethering, bogged down the bill.
—Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Often small details are inflated to comedic levels but prove tangential to the episode.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 28 June 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 29 Jul. 2025.
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