laterally

[lat-er-uh-lee]

adverb

1. from side to side; along a plane.

   You can force plants to grow wide and bushy by training the growth tips to grow laterally rather than cutting off the tops of the shoots.

2. in a way that involves a broadly equivalent position, office, etc..

   She worked as a nurse for many years and then, moving laterally, was employed as an area supervisor in the social work field.

Word History and Origins

Origin of laterally¹

lateral ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

One of his conclusions was that throwing the ball "laterally or backwards can increase throw-in success rates in comparison to throwing the ball forwards", and the "higher-ranked teams utilised this strategy more often".

From BBC

Unlike universal injunctions, which are top-down blocks, collateral estoppel works laterally — one court at a time, but each building on the last.

From Salon

“That’s when I realized being long, athletic and having quickness to move my feet laterally and just being able to stay in front of guys is just a big part of it for me.”

From Los Angeles Times

As much as the major wildfires were spreading seaward — as is typical during Santa Anas — the blazes were growing laterally, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The ceratioids then developed features such as larger jaws, smaller eyes and laterally compressed bodies -- adaptations tailored to life in an environment with limited food and no sunlight.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• sideward 
• to the side www.thesaurus.com