Touching or meeting at a tangent; relating to or having the nature of a tangent line or contact point.
From contra- (Latin for 'against' or 'with') + tangential (from tangent, Latin tangere 'to touch'). This suggests something that touches or meets, possibly in opposition or conjunction with something else.
In mathematics, tangent lines approach curves at single points without crossing them—which is why roads curving around hills use tangential designs to avoid sharp angles that cause accidents.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.