(ˈ)tan|jenchəl, -aan|- adjective
1. : of, relating to, or of the nature of a tangent : being in the direction of a tangent
2.
a. : acting along or lying in a tangent
b. : arranged or having parts arranged like tangents
3.
a. : deviating widely and sometimes erratically : divergent
the discussion method … is time-consuming and alarmingly tangential — R.C.Snyder
b. : touching lightly or in the most tenuous way : incidental
no place … for political controversy save in occasional tangential comment — W.R.Benét