lateral

Borrowed from Latin laterālis (“belonging to the side”), from latus (“the side or flank”) +‎ -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

• IPA^(key): /ˈlæt.ə.ɹəl/, /ˈlæt.ɹəl/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætəɹəl

lateral (comparative more lateral, superlative most lateral)

1. To the side; of or pertaining to the side.

   Instead of a promotion, I opted for a lateral move to a similar position in the marketing department.

   1. (anatomy, zootomy) 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.

      A fish senses changes in hydrodynamic pressure with its lateral line.

      Antonym: medial

   2. (pathology) Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
   3. (physics) Acting or placed at right angles to a line of motion or strain.
2. (UK) Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.
3. (phonetics, phonology) (of a consonant, especially the English clear l) Pertaining to sounds generated by partially blocking the egress of the airstream with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge, leaving space on one or both sides of the occlusion for air passage.

• (geometric): longitudinal, vertical

• (human anatomy direction adjectives) anterior,‎ distal,‎ dorsal,‎ lateral,‎ medial,‎ posterior,‎ proximal,‎ ventral ^{(Category: en:Medicine) [edit]}

• vastus lateralis

lateral (plural laterals)

1. An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
2. (linguistics) A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).

   Coordinate terms: approximant, fricative, nasal, trill, plosive

3. (American football) A lateral pass.
4. (business) An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.

• lateral consonant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

lateral (third-person singular simple present laterals, present participle lateralling or lateraling, simple past and past participle lateralled or lateraled)

1. To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.
2. (American football) To execute a lateral pass.

• lateraling

• “lateral”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “lateral”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
• lateral in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

From Latin laterālis.

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /lə.təˈɾal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /la.teˈɾal/

lateral (masculine and feminine plural laterals)

1. lateral

• lateralitzar
• lateralment

lateral m or f (plural laterals)

1. wingback
2. (castells) a casteller in the pinya, who stands beside the baix and holds the legs of one of the segons to prevent them from swaying sideways.

• “lateral” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “lateral”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “lateral” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “lateral” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

In the 20th century, from Latin laterālis.

• IPA^(key): /lateˈʁaːl/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

lateral (strong nominative masculine singular lateraler, not comparable)

1. lateral

lateral (not comparable)

1. lateral

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: la‧te‧ral

lateral m or f (plural laterais)

1. lateral (of, pertaining to or located in the side)
2. of lesser importance

• lateralmente

lateral f (plural laterais)

1. (sports) sideline (line defining the side boundary of a playing field)
2. (sports) throw-in (set-piece where the ball is thrown back into play)
3. (phonetics) lateral (sound in which the airstream proceeds along the sides of the tongue)

lateral m or f by sense (plural laterais)

1. (sports) winger (offensive player who plays on either side of the centre)

   Synonym: ala

From French latéral, from Latin lateralis.

lateral m or n (feminine singular laterală, masculine plural laterali, feminine and neuter plural laterale)

1. lateral

From Latin lateralis.

• IPA^(key): /lateˈɾal/ [la.t̪eˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: la‧te‧ral

lateral (plural laterales)

1. lateral, to the side
2. (linguistics) lateral

• anterolateral
• esclerosis lateral amiotrófica
• inferolateral
• lateralmente
• saque lateral
• superolateral

• lado

lateral m or f (plural laterales)

1. (soccer) full-back, fullback (a player who plays on the left or right side of defence)
2. (linguistics) lateral

• (soccer) extremo, carrilero, defensa, central

• “lateral”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

lateral (not comparable)

1. to the side, lateral
2. (linguistics) lateral

lateral c

1. (linguistics) a lateral consonant, a lateral

• lateral in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• lateral in Svensk ordbok (SO)