What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
tangentiality
Example
Her tangentiality made it difficult to follow her train of thought. [tangentiality: noun]
Example
He tends to go off on tangents, but he always brings it back to the main point. [tangents: noun]
derailment
Example
His derailment made it impossible to follow his argument. [derailment: noun]
Example
The conversation derailed into a heated argument and never returned to the original topic. [derailed: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Derailment is more commonly used in everyday language than tangentiality. Tangentiality is more specific and often used in psychology and counseling contexts.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between tangentiality and derailment?
Tangentiality and derailment are both formal words, but derailment may be more commonly used in informal contexts due to its everyday language usage.
