tangential
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of a tangent; being or moving in the direction of a tangent.
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merely touching; slightly connected.
tangential information.
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divergent or digressive, as from a subject under consideration.
tangential remarks.
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tending to digress or to reply to questions obliquely.
adjective
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of, being, relating to, or in the direction of a tangent
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Also: transverse. astronomy (of velocity) in a direction perpendicular to the line of sight of a celestial object Compare radial
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of superficial relevance only; digressive
Other Word Forms
- nontangential adjective
- tangentiality noun
- tangentially adverb
- untangential adjective
Etymology
Origin of tangential
Explanation
Tangential describes something that's not part of the whole. If you make a comment that is tangential to the story you're telling, it's a digression. The story could still be understood without it. In geometry, a tangent is a line that touches a curve in one spot but doesn't intersect it anywhere else. Tangential means something that goes off in one direction that way and doesn't return. People can feel tangential — as though they're inessential and not relevant to a larger group.
Vocabulary lists containing tangential
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Common Senses: Tact, Tang ("Touch")
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The MP idea feels a little more tangential than even EU defense stocks.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
It ranges from the greenest to the dirtiest, from established technologies to speculative ones, and even includes companies that play tangential roles in the sector.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
The story gets bogged down in tangential matters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Coming from an Allison Williams movie, a tangential query popped into my head: Is everyone a Marnie now?
From Salon • Jul. 1, 2025
I find I think of myself not as a writer so much as someone who provides a gateway, a tangential route for readers to reach the circus.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
