lateral

American  

[lat-er-uhl] / ˈlæt ər əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the side; situated at, proceeding from, or directed to a side.

   a lateral view.

2. pertaining to or entailing a position, office, etc., that is different but equivalent or roughly equivalent in status, as distinguished from a promotion or demotion.

   a lateral move.

3. Phonetics. articulated so that the breath passes on either or both sides of the tongue, as l.

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noun

1. a lateral part or extension, as a branch or shoot.

2. Mining. a small drift off to the side of a principal one.

3. Phonetics. a lateral speech sound.

4. Football. lateral pass.

verb (used without object)

1. Football. to throw a lateral pass.

2. to move laterally or sideways.

   migrating birds lateraling down into Cape May.

verb (used with object)

1. Football. to throw (the ball) in a lateral pass.

lateral British  

/ ˈlætərəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the side or sides

   a lateral blow

2. phonetics (of a speech sound like l ) pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the centre of the alveolar ridge, leaving space on one or both sides for the passage of the airstream

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noun

1. a lateral object, part, passage, or movement

2. phonetics a lateral speech sound

3. botany a branch, leaf, or bud that grows out from the side of a stem or trunk

Other Word Forms

• laterally adverb
• pseudolateral adjective

Etymology

Origin of lateral

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin laterālis “of the side,” equivalent to later- (stem of latus ) “side” + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

In June of that year he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a rapid neurodegenerative disease that kills the brain cells needed to control muscles in the body.

From The Wall Street Journal

Traditional cyber-espionage requires large teams working through reconnaissance, system mapping, vulnerability identification and lateral movement.

From The Wall Street Journal

He tries to measure “lateral thinking and processing speed,” he says, traits that can lead to strong gains.

From The Wall Street Journal

By keeping the tires more squarely in contact with the road, the anti-roll system extracts higher thresholds of mechanical grip and lateral stability.

From The Wall Street Journal

Employees under top managers were 40% more likely to make lateral moves and earn 13% more seven years later, the study shows.

From The Wall Street Journal