tan
gen
tial
Comparative
more tangential
Superlative
most tangential
1
not or barely relevant to something
- His comments about vacation plans were tangential to the discussion on budget cuts.
- The speaker’s tangential remarks diverted the conversation away from the main topic.
- The article had some tangential information that was unrelated to the central thesis.
- The novel’s tangential subplots sometimes distracted from the main storyline.
- His tangential observations during the meeting were interesting but not relevant to the agenda.
Synonyms:
2
referring to a line or motion that just touches the surface of an object at a single point
- As the wheel rotated, he observed its tangential movement at the outer edge.
- The light's tangential approach created a unique reflection on the mirror.