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 feds ought to focus on providing help, not advance their tangential cultural agendas.
—
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Florida teachers are facing investigations for social media posts deemed insensitive after Charlie Kirk’s death — scrutiny that the state’s teachers union says targets even tangential or indirect comments.
—Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
With astrometry, instead of measuring the radial motion of a star, astronomers measure its tangential motion on the sky as it is pulled in different directions by orbiting planets.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
What could be in flux, however, is the SSA's administrative budget for tangential services.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangential
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Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
Florida teachers are facing investigations for social media posts deemed insensitive after Charlie Kirk’s death — scrutiny that the state’s teachers union says targets even tangential or indirect comments.
—Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
With astrometry, instead of measuring the radial motion of a star, astronomers measure its tangential motion on the sky as it is pulled in different directions by orbiting planets.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
What could be in flux, however, is the SSA's administrative budget for tangential services.
—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 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 Oct. 2025.
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