TANGENTIAL Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

tangential

adjective

Definition of tangential

as in irrelevant

having little to do with the matter at hand Your point is tangential to the main objective of this meeting so please save it for later.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tangential Both that experience and his tangential involvement in the Amanda-West drama has affected his priorities going into the upcoming season, both in his love life and his friendships. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 June 2026 But Sawyer held off on adding the amendment to House Bill 1094, a tangential bill requiring an audit of NCDOT’s ferry division. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026 The Houthis made a similar threat during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and killed at least nine mariners and sank four ships in over 100 attacks, often targeting vessels with tangential or no ties to Israel. — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 Instead of solving the full optimization problem in a brute-force way, TFC allows key physical constraints (like leaving Earth in a tangential burn) to be built directly into the mathematical formulation. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tangential

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tangential

Adjective

Horowitz said Lunas Campos’ criminal history is irrelevant to his detention.

— Perla Trevizo, ProPublica, 3 July 2026
The Fan Footage Is What Counts Your concert experience is almost irrelevant.

— Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 3 July 2026

Definition of irrelevant

Adjective

The National Marrow Donor Program had matched him with a woman battling a rare blood disease, calling on him to donate peripheral blood stem cells through a long blood draw.

— Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
The flare-up quickly transformed Lebanon from a peripheral concern into a central question hanging over the Iran war and the nascent peace talks.

— Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026

Definition of peripheral

Browse Nearby Words

tangent

tangential

tangentially

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Style

“Tangential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tangential. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of tangential

adjective

Example Sentences

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