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
: divergent, digressive
2
: of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent
3
: acting along or lying in a tangent
tangential forces
tangentially
tan-ˈjen(t)-sh(ə-)lē
adverb 
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.
Example Sentences
Their romance is tangential to the book's main plot.
Recent Examples on the Web In most cases, firms such as Portopiccolo pursue a risk-mitigation strategy that is, at best, tangential to senior care. 
Yasmin Rafiei, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2022 Men, though not absent, are tangential to the story. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Inevitability doesn’t have to be a problem, nor people clashing over tangential matters. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2022 Helstrom was one of the final holdovers from the previously-existing regime of Marvel Television, which set up for tangential kinds of shows—like Helstrom here—to air on different channels. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2022 And yet King’s championing of struggling artists felt tangential to the specifics of the trial. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2022 Pou were of urgent importance to her, obviously, but feel tangential as the one thing this show addressing the nightmare of Katrina ends up being about. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 Some companies are tangential to semiconductor production but aid in getting them to market. Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021 As for the rest of it, much of the research used to inform lawmakers crafting the historic gun legislation was tangential to US gun violence. Wired, 28 July 2022 See More
Yasmin Rafiei, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2022 Men, though not absent, are tangential to the story. Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022 Inevitability doesn’t have to be a problem, nor people clashing over tangential matters. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2022 Helstrom was one of the final holdovers from the previously-existing regime of Marvel Television, which set up for tangential kinds of shows—like Helstrom here—to air on different channels. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2022 And yet King’s championing of struggling artists felt tangential to the specifics of the trial. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2022 Pou were of urgent importance to her, obviously, but feel tangential as the one thing this show addressing the nightmare of Katrina ends up being about. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022 Some companies are tangential to semiconductor production but aid in getting them to market. Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021 As for the rest of it, much of the research used to inform lawmakers crafting the historic gun legislation was tangential to US gun violence. Wired, 28 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1630, in the meaning defined at sense 2
tangential
adjective
as in irrelevant
having little to do with the matter at hand Your point is tangential to the main objective of this meeting so please save it for later. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- irrelevant
- tangent
- peripheral
- incidental
- extraneous
- immaterial
- inapplicable
- unimportant
- irrelative
- moot
- inconsequential
- impertinent
- insignificant
- pointless
- meaningless
- inapposite
- useless
- inane
- inappropriate
- dead
- unsuitable
- senseless
- empty
- inapt
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- relevant
- relative
- pertinent
- applicable
- appropriate
- germane
- material
- important
- suitable
- pointed
- significant
- meaningful
- apposite
- apropos
- apt
- useful
- fit
- sensible