Added 7 October 2026
lateral
/ˈlæt(ə)ɹəl/ adjective
Latin root: laterālis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lateral at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
To the side; of or pertaining to the side. Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral.
-
Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral.
- Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
noun
- An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
- A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).
- A lateral pass.
verb
Origin
Borrowed from Latin laterālis (“belonging to the side”), from latus (“the side or flank”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)