lateral

adjective · noun · verb

Simple meaning

To the side.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

lateruhl

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈlætɚəl

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

pathology
To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
pathology
Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
At the same level in hierarchy or rank, especially pertaining to a movement that does not involve a change in rank, status, or level.
anatomyzootomy
Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
uk
Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.

noun

A lateral canal, a canal built alongside an existing stream.
An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.

verb

To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency: Moderately Common
Typical Use: Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: At the same level in hierarchy or rank, especially pertaining to a movement that does not involve a change in rank, status, or level.

Used this way, lateral is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: No strong connotation
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

distal , a specialist term, precise but narrower

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use lateral

“The coach taught the team how to make effective lateral passes.”

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Same / employee

lateral movement

Lateral

lateral ventricle

Acting

lateral line

Other combinations

lateral sclerosislateral viewlateral walllateral surfacelateral aspect

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

laterallyadverbDerived adverb
To or by or from the side.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

lateral geniculatenounCompound term
A neural structure that serves as a processing station on the way from the retina to the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex.
lateral geniculate bodynounCompound term
A neural structure that serves as a processing station on the way from the retina to the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex.
lateral humeral epicondylitisnounCompound term
Painful inflammation of the tendon at the outer border of the elbow resulting from overuse of lower arm muscles (as in twisting of the hand).
lateral linenounCompound term
Sense organs of fish and amphibians.
lateral line organnounCompound term
Sense organs of fish and amphibians.
lateral passnounCompound term
A pass to a receiver upfield from the passer.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to the side

distalTechnical

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “lateral” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.