tangentially

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/tænˈd͡ʒɛnʃi.əli//tænˈd͡ʒɛnʃəli/

adverb

In a tangential manner or direction.

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

adverbtangentially (comparative more tangentially, superlative most tangentially)

comparative more tangentially · superlative most tangentially · alternative dated tangentally

  1. In a tangential manner or direction.

    And while cellphones are at least experientially related to the land line, and e-mail feels tangentially related to the fax, texting is simultaneously a throwback to the telegraph and a harbinger of a new age.

    2007 July 12, Lisa Belkin, “Let’s Talk. Let Me Outline the Ways.”, in The New York Times
    1 more example

    Rift sawn planks shrink about one half of those cut tangentially, due to the restraining action of medullary rays. Also, rift sawn timber gives a harder wearing surface than the other and hence these may be used in flooring and other locations subjected to abrasive actions.

    2003, . B.C. Punmia, Ashok Kumar Jain, & Arun Kr. Jain, Basic Civil Engineering, →ISBN, page 79

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*teh₂g-
  2. Proto-Italic*tangō
  3. Latintangō
  4. Latintangēns
  5. Latintangentem
  6. Englishtangent
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  9. Englishtangential
  10. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  11. Proto-Germanic*līką
  12. Englishtangentially

From tangential + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish sivuavasti, tangentiaalisesti
  • sivuavastiin a tangential manner or direction
  • tangentiaalisestiin a tangential manner or direction
Russian ко́свенно, по касательной
  • ко́свенно (kósvenno)in a tangential manner or direction
  • по касательной (po kasatelʹnoj)in a tangential manner or direction
Spanish tangencialmente
  • tangencialmentein a tangential manner or direction
Cite this entry
APA

tangentially. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangentially

MLA

“tangentially.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangentially. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tangentially,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangentially.

Source: tangentially on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.