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
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
The story gets bogged down in tangential matters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
The fraud that ensnared Middlesex Truck and Coach as a tangential victim covered thousands of miles via electronic byways.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2025
His meandering public speeches have, in recent months, grown longer, more tangential, and darker in tone.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024
The Coriolis effect happens because of the difference between these two tangential velocities.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
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.
