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tangental

 - 2 dictionary results

tan⋅gen⋅tial

  [tan-jen-shuhl]
Use tangental in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pertaining to or of the nature of a tangent; being or moving in the direction of a tangent.
2. merely touching; slightly connected: tangential information.
3. divergent or digressive, as from a subject under consideration: tangential remarks.
4. tending to digress or to reply to questions obliquely.
Also, tan⋅gen⋅tal  [tan-jen-tl] .

Origin:
1620–30; tangent + -ial

Related forms:
tan⋅gen⋅ti⋅al⋅i⋅ty, noun
tan⋅gen⋅tial⋅ly, tan⋅gen⋅tal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To tangental
tan·gen·tial   (tān-jěn'shəl)   
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.

tan·gen'ti·al'i·ty (-shē-āl'ĭ-tē) n., tan·gen'tial·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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