tangential
only loosely relevant; diverging from the main point
Word origin: From Latin tangere, to touch.
Tangential in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing tangential in a sentence.
Her remarks were so tangential that the committee forgot what they had originally been debating.
The reviewer dismissed the chapter's long digression on regional cuisine as tangential to the book's central argument.
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Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Although she had every reason to gloat after the verdict, the attorney remained blank, accepting the win without a hint of boastfulness.
Using “tangential” well
Tangential describes something only loosely relevant that diverges from the main point. It contrasts with what is central or pertinent and often carries a faintly critical tone.
More GRE words starting with T
understood or implied without being openly stated
habitually reserved and uncommunicative in speech
perceptible by touch or concrete enough to be grasped
to twist together into a confused or knotted mass
equivalent in effect or value to something else
to dull or damage the luster, reputation, or purity of something
needlessly repeating an idea using different words
needless repetition of the same idea in different words
Questions about “tangential”
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