tangential
Tangential describes something that's not part of the whole. If you make a comment that is tangential to the story you're telling, it's a digression. The story could still be understood without it.
In geometry, a tangent is a line that touches a curve in one spot but doesn't intersect it anywhere else. Tangential means something that goes off in one direction that way and doesn't return. People can feel tangential — as though they're inessential and not relevant to a larger group.
-
of superficial relevance if any“a tangential remark”synonyms: digressiveirrelevanthaving no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
-
of or relating to or acting along or in the direction of a tangent“tangential forces”
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing tangential
Looking to build your vocabulary? Then practice this list of 300 "hard words" — the kind that used to be tested on the SAT before 2016. If you're a high school student prepping for the SAT, check out gold-punch.com's Roadmap to the SAT, which focuses on the vocabulary you'll need to ace today's SAT test.
Learn these words that derive from the Latin verb tangere, meaning "to touch." Here are links to the complete set of Common Senses lists: Hearing: Phon / Aud / Son Sight: Vid, Vis / Spec, Spect, Spic / Op, Ops, Opt Touch: Path / Sent, Sens / Tact, Tang