tangential

Rarely tan·gen·tal

[tan-jen-shuhl]

adjective

1. pertaining to or of the nature of a tangent; being or moving in the direction of a tangent.

2. merely touching; slightly connected.

   tangential information.

3. divergent or digressive, as from a subject under consideration.

   tangential remarks.

4. tending to digress or to reply to questions obliquely.

tangential

/ tænˈdʒɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. of, being, relating to, or in the direction of a tangent

2. Also: transverse. astronomy (of velocity) in a direction perpendicular to the line of sight of a celestial object Compare radial

3. of superficial relevance only; digressive

Other Word Forms

• tangentiality noun
• tangentially adverb
• nontangential adjective
• untangential adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tangential¹

First recorded in 1620–30; tangent + -ial

Example Sentences

Jordan Weiss’ script is so tangential to the movie’s charms that things would feel pretty much the same if Harper and Lily had traded places, or honestly, if no one swapped at all.

From Los Angeles Times

But in other circumstances, the law became a powerful cudgel wielded to influence concerns that at best had a tangential relationship to the environment.

From Los Angeles Times

But they have also urged an immediate return to negotiations, and expressed concern that Israel has begun targeting sites tangential and unrelated to Iran’s nuclear program.

From Los Angeles Times

This is a bit of a tangential question.

From Salon

Basically, Trump's thinking has become so tangential that he's really not able to answer a question in a way that's responsive to the question being asked.

From Salon

Related Words

• extraneous 
• unrelated