Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

tangential

Adjective

/tænˈdʒɛnʃəl/

Definition

Relating to or along a tangent; diverging from the main point.

Examples

The discussion was tangential, leading us away from the main topic.
Her comments were tangential, only loosely connecting to the subject we were debating.
In his tangential argument, he brought up a completely different issue.

Meaning

The term ‘tangential’ describes something that is only indirectly related to a matter at hand, or something that touches on a topic without addressing it directly.