tangential

(-jĕn'tl)
adj.

1. Of, relating to, or moving along or in the direction of a tangent.
2. Merely touching or slightly connected.
3. Only superficially relevant; divergent: a tangential remark.

tangentiality tan·gen'ti·al'i·ty (-shē-ăl'ĭ-tē) n.
tangentially tan·gen'tial·ly adv.

(tan-JEN-shuhl)

adjective
1. Only slightly relevant to the matter in hand; digressive; divergent.
2. Merely touching. 3. Mathematics: Of or pertaining to the nature of a tangent.

Etymology
From Latin tangent-, tangens, present participle of tangere (to touch)

The word tangential has numerous cousins, words derived from the same root: tax, contact, attain, intact, tact, taste, tangible, tactile. What an unlikely bunch of words to come out of the same parent! What's common in all is the idea of touching (or not, as in case of "intact").

Usage
"Matsch refused to give in to delaying tactics, tangential arguments or TV cameras - all of which played large roles in the Simpson case." — Dignity Back in Court; Chicago Sun-Times; Jun 2, 1997.

"Lucidly and economically written, the book gives us just enough explanatory background, just enough history, just enough atmosphere so that we have some sense of context yet never feel that (Hilary) Spurling is rambling or becoming mired in the tangential." — Francine Prose; The Colors of His Imagination; The Washington Post; Oct 25, 1998.

---

adjective

Marked by or given to digression: digressive, discursive, excursive, parenthetic, parenthetical, rambling. See approach/retreat.

IN BRIEF: adj. - Of or relating to or acting along or in the direction of a diverging point adj. - Of superficial relevance if any.

Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - tangential-, tangerende

Nederlands (Dutch)
zijdelings, oppervlakkig

Français (French)
adj. - tangentiel, (fig) secondaire

Deutsch (German)
adj. - Tangential-, nebensächlich

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - εφαπτόμενος, της εφαπτομένης

Italiano (Italian)
tangenziale

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - tangencial

Русский (Russian)
отклоняющийся от темы

Español (Spanish)
adj. - tangencial

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - tangentiell, tangential-, ovidkommande, som hoppar från det ena till det andra

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
切线的, 正切的, 相切的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 切線的, 正切的, 相切的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 접선의, 접하는, 접선에 따라 작용하는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 接線の, 正接の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) منحرف, تماسي, مماس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮סוטה, נוגע, משיק‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.