collateral

[ kuh-lat-er-uh l ]

/ kəˈlæt ər əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR collateral ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

security pledged for the payment of a loan: He gave the bank some stocks and bonds as collateral for the money he borrowed.

Anatomy.

a subordinate or accessory part.
a side branch, as of a blood vessel or nerve.
collateral circulation.

a relative descended from the same stock, but in a different line.

adjective

accompanying; auxiliary: He received a scholarship and collateral aid.

additional; confirming: collateral evidence; collateral security.

secured by collateral: a collateral loan.

aside from the main subject, course, etc.; secondary: These accomplishments are merely collateral to his primary goal.

descended from the same stock, but in a different line; not lineal: A cousin is a collateral relative.

pertaining to those so descended.

situated at the side: a collateral wing of a house.

situated or running side by side; parallel: collateral ridges of mountains.

Botany. standing side by side.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of collateral

1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Medieval Latin collaterālis, equivalent to col- col-¹ + laterālis lateral

Related formscol·lat·er·al·i·ty

[koh-lat-uh-ral-i-tee] /koʊˌlæt əˈræl ɪ ti/, col·lat·er·al·ness, nouncol·lat·er·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for collateral

Horace had been playing poker with a mortician, who had put the car up as collateral.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2008, it was looking at a death spiral: cut credit ratings, claims on the policies, and collateral calls.
Remember the $182 Billion AIG Bailout? It Just Wasn’t Generous Enough|Daniel Gross|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The euphemism of “collateral damage” comes with that package.
Blood and War: The Hard Truth About ‘Boots on the Ground’|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This can cause women to end up as collateral, even when they themselves have committed no wrong.
How India’s Honor Culture Perpetuates Mass Rape|Amana Fontanella-Khan|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The collateral effects, Drucker argues, show how imprisonment, human rights, and public health are related.
Economists Slam the War on Drugs in a New London School of Economics Report|Abby Haglage|May 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Collateral bonds are secured by the deposit of collateral security.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 4|Various
I was naturally inquisitive as to his fortune and the collateral circumstances of his condition.
Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist|Charles Brockden Brown
Malthus shows the necessity of observing other collateral results.
The English Utilitarians, Volume II (of 3)|Leslie Stephen
When used, Rapid Dominance would ensure favorable early resolution of issues with minimal loss of lives and collateral damage.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman
A what-not education may be impressive, but is worthless as collateral.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 11 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard

British Dictionary definitions for collateral

collateral

/ (kɒˈlætərəl, kə-) /

noun

security pledged for the repayment of a loan
(as modifier)a collateral loan

a person, animal, or plant descended from the same ancestor as another but through a different line

adjective

situated or running side by side

descended from a common ancestor but through different lines

serving to support or corroborate

aside from the main issue

uniting in tendency

Derived Formscollaterally, adverb

Word Origin for collateral

C14: from Medieval Latin collaterālis, from Latin com- together + laterālis of the side, from latus side

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for collateral (1 of 2)

collateral

adj.

late 14c., "accompanying," also "descended from the same stock," from Old French collateral (13c.), from Medieval Latin collateralis "accompanying," literally "side by side," from Latin com- "together" (see com-) + lateralis "of the side," from latus "a side" (see oblate (n.)). Literal sense of "parallel, along the side of" attested in English from mid-15c. Related: Collaterally.

Word Origin and History for collateral (1 of 2)

collateral

16c., "colleague, associate," from collateral (adj.). Meaning "thing given as security" is from 1832, American English, from phrase collateral security (1720).

Medicine definitions for collateral

collateral

[ kə-lăt′ər-əl ]

adj.

Indirect, subsidiary, or accessory to the main thing.

Having an ancestor in common but descended from a different line.

n.

A branch of a nerve axon or blood vessel.

A collateral relative.

Related formscol•lat′er•al•ly adv.

Culture definitions for collateral

collateral

Property or its equivalent that a debtor deposits with a creditor to guarantee repayment of a debt.