ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tangential

adj.
C1 Advanced US //tænˈdʒɛnʃəɫ// UK //tændʒˈɛnʃəl// tan·gen·tial

adj. not directly related to the main topic or subject. You use this to describe something that touches on a subject but doesn't go into it deeply.

adj. relating to or touching a subject only on the edge; not directly connected to the main point. Often describes a line of thought or a piece of information that diverges from the central theme.


SIMPLE

The speaker made several tangential comments about the weather.

CONTEXTUAL

While the main report focuses on economic growth, the appendix contains several tangential observations about local culture.

COMPLEX

The author's style often involves tangential digressions that, while seemingly unrelated to the plot, eventually provide the necessary emotional depth for the protagonist's final decision.

Synonyms

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