Tangential
adjective
Talks or refers to something that is slightly related, but not directly to the matter.
He tried to keep the conversation focused, but she kept making tangential references to other topics.
Often appears as...
- tangential references
- tangential comments
adjective
Concerns geometry, a line or plane that touches but does not cross a curve or surface.
The slope of the curve at a given point is equal to the slope of the tangential line at that point.
Often appears as...
- tangential line
- tangential curve
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
In physics, movement at right angles to the direction towards the center of a circle.
The object continued its tangential motion, moving away from the circle's center.
Often appears as...
- tangential motion
- tangential direction
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
Talks or refers to something that is slightly related, but not directly to the matter.
He tried to keep the conversation focused, but she kept making tangential references to other topics.
Often appears as...
- tangential references
- tangential comments
adjective
Concerns geometry, a line or plane that touches but does not cross a curve or surface.
The slope of the curve at a given point is equal to the slope of the tangential line at that point.
Often appears as...
- tangential line
- tangential curve
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
In physics, movement at right angles to the direction towards the center of a circle.
The object continued its tangential motion, moving away from the circle's center.
Often appears as...
- tangential motion
- tangential direction
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Slightly Related
Use 'tangential' when mentioning details that connect to the topic in an indirect way.
His speech was full of tangential stories that were only loosely connected to the main point.
Pro Tip 2/3Avoid in Focus
'Tangential' should be avoided when a clear, direct point is required.
In debates, tangential remarks can weaken your position by diverting attention.
Pro Tip 3/3Conversation Steer
'Tangential' can indicate someone is steering a conversation away from the main topic.
I noticed her tangential comments were a tactic to avoid discussing the issue at hand.
Compare with
digressextraneousincidentalinconsequentialperisecondarysuperficial
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Video examples
Making the impossible...
there's something there so that's what I call when you see things that are tangential or relative to what your problem is that's what I call morsels of permission you look for little morsels and bits and bobs here and you start to pull those together and put them all into a pile and that's your end solution so I invited all these brilliant people to my house people way smarter than
Video examples
Earthrise: The Story of...
my job was to make sure the spacecraft kept running you know by the way if I had any time I would I was the photographer as well I was the guy stuck with the camera it was a tangential job
Video examples
Making the impossible...
there's something there so that's what I call when you see things that are tangential or relative to what your problem is that's what I call morsels of permission you look for little morsels and bits and bobs here and you start to pull those together and put them all into a pile and that's your end solution so I invited all these brilliant people to my house people way smarter than
Video examples
Earthrise: The Story of...
my job was to make sure the spacecraft kept running you know by the way if I had any time I would I was the photographer as well I was the guy stuck with the camera it was a tangential job
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Alex Kurtzman
American Director
What your character does for a living is one of the most important choices you can make in a screenplay, even if their job is tangential to the story, because it tells you everything about the condition of their life. Are they doing what they love? Are they doing what they hate?
Quote examples
James Veitch
British Comedian
The marooned friend is one of the best-known scams, principally because it's the one that dodges the spam filter most often. It comes from someone you know but often only tangentially. It's since become - hands down - one of my favourite scams.
Quote examples
Chelsea Peretti
American Comedian
Working on 'Parks' was like heaven because everyone there was just intimidatingly intelligent and funny, and we would have these hilarious debates about really tangential things. It was inspiring because I felt really challenged to be my best.
Quote examples
Thomas Haden Church
American Actor
Their lives have been largely defined by failure and you would think the prospect of marriage, which is supposed to be bountiful and hopeful, it's just really another kind of tangential thing in his life.
Quote examples
Sarah Steele
American Actress
People who come to 'The Country House' are like, 'You're on 'The Good Wife' now.' But I've been on since the second season! I feel that the interest in the children in that series is almost tangential.
Quote examples
Jared Cohen
American Businessman
Essentially, it's not that technology or cyberspace is some parallel universe that operates tangentially from the world we know; it is simply a new front in the international system.
Quote examples
Josh Gondelman
American Author
The modern ease of catfishing has had the tangential effect of growing a cottage industry of websites offering the services of fake Internet girlfriends.
Quote examples
Paolo Bacigalupi
American Writer
I think there are narratives going on all the time that we think of as tangential - up until they turn out to be deciding factors in our lives.
Quote examples
Tony Judt
British Historian
At a certain point, to remain slightly tangential to wherever I was became a way of 'being Tony': by not being anything that everyone else was.
Quote examples
Alfred Jarry
French Writer
God is the tangential point between zero and infinity.
Quote examples
Alex Kurtzman
American Director
What your character does for a living is one of the most important choices you can make in a screenplay, even if their job is tangential to the story, because it tells you everything about the condition of their life. Are they doing what they love? Are they doing what they hate?
Quote examples
James Veitch
British Comedian
The marooned friend is one of the best-known scams, principally because it's the one that dodges the spam filter most often. It comes from someone you know but often only tangentially. It's since become - hands down - one of my favourite scams.
Quote examples
Chelsea Peretti
American Comedian
Working on 'Parks' was like heaven because everyone there was just intimidatingly intelligent and funny, and we would have these hilarious debates about really tangential things. It was inspiring because I felt really challenged to be my best.
Quote examples
Thomas Haden Church
American Actor
Their lives have been largely defined by failure and you would think the prospect of marriage, which is supposed to be bountiful and hopeful, it's just really another kind of tangential thing in his life.
Quote examples
Sarah Steele
American Actress
People who come to 'The Country House' are like, 'You're on 'The Good Wife' now.' But I've been on since the second season! I feel that the interest in the children in that series is almost tangential.
Quote examples
Jared Cohen
American Businessman
Essentially, it's not that technology or cyberspace is some parallel universe that operates tangentially from the world we know; it is simply a new front in the international system.
Quote examples
Josh Gondelman
American Author
The modern ease of catfishing has had the tangential effect of growing a cottage industry of websites offering the services of fake Internet girlfriends.
Quote examples
Paolo Bacigalupi
American Writer
I think there are narratives going on all the time that we think of as tangential - up until they turn out to be deciding factors in our lives.
Quote examples
Tony Judt
British Historian
At a certain point, to remain slightly tangential to wherever I was became a way of 'being Tony': by not being anything that everyone else was.
Quote examples
Alfred Jarry
French Writer
God is the tangential point between zero and infinity.
Example 1 of 10
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