tangentiality /tan·gen·ti·al·i·ty/ (tan-jen″she-al´ĭ-te) a pattern of speech characterized by oblique, digressive, or irrelevant replies to questions; the responses never approach the point of the questions.
tangentiality
tan·gen·ti·al·i·ty (t n-j n sh -l  -t)n. A disturbance in the associative thought process in which one tends to digress readily from one topic under discussion to other topics that arise through association. |
tangentiality
[tanjen′chē·al′itē]
Etymology: L, tangere, to touch
expressions or responses characterized by a tendency to digress from an original topic of conversation, in which a common word connects two unrelated thoughts. For example, the boy caught a ball. Balls of fire exploded from the house. Tangentiality can destroy or seriously hamper the ability of people to communicate effectively. It is frequently seen in schizophrenia.
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