Synonyms for tangential
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Tangent — only indirectly related
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Only indirectly related.
That subject is tangential to our discussion, and we cannot let it distract us.
Related words
- Word family
- tangent
Example sentences
- incidental His criticism only referred to incidental matters.
- tangent "Please don't go off on a tangent. Stay focused."
- irrelevant She pays too much attention to irrelevant things.
- collateral We'll use the house as collateral so we can borrow some money.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| tangential | falling | |
| incidental | falling | |
| tangent | steady | |
| irrelevant | steady | |
| collateral | steady | |
| digressive | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- tangent2
- 10 letters
- irrelevant4, collateral4, incidental4, digressive
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (tangent2 = 2 syllables).