medial

[ mee-dee-uhl ]

/ ˈmi di əl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: medial / medials / medially on Thesaurus.com

adjective

situated in or pertaining to the middle; median; intermediate.

pertaining to a mean or average; average.

ordinary.

Phonetics. within a word or syllable; neither initial nor final, as the t, a, and n in stand.

Entomology. pertaining to, involving, or situated near the media.

noun

Phonetics.

a medial sound or letter.
media² (def. 1).

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of medial

First recorded in 1560–70, medial is from the Late Latin word mediālis middle. See medium, -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM medial

me·di·al·ly, adverbpost·me·di·al, adjectivesub·me·di·al, adjectivesub·me·di·al·ly, adverb

su·per·me·di·al, adjectivesu·per·me·di·al·ly, adverb

Words nearby medial

mediacy, mediad, mediaeval, media event, mediagenic, medial, media literacy, medial moraine, median, median lethal dose, median plane

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use medial in a sentence

The ill-fated title hopefuls endured their latest setback Saturday, when Kevin Durant suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee during an unfortunate chain reaction.
Kevin Durant’s knee sprain hits Nets where it hurts the most|Ben Golliver|January 17, 2022|Washington Post
Two areas that are affected, the medial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus, typically suppress and control emotional experiences.
How to Make a Perfect Tune for an Acid Trip|Dana G Smith|December 20, 2021|The Daily Beast
It measured the thickness of a part called the medial temporal lobe, which includes the hippocampus.
Too much sitting could hurt your mental health|Kathiann Kowalski|April 15, 2021|Science News For Students
Asking what follows the word “person” activates the medial temporal lobe’s activity pattern for memories associated with that word.
Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV - Issue 93: Forerunners|Adithya Rajagopalan|December 2, 2020|Nautilus

That night Gasol hobbled off his home court with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
The Nate Silver of Sports Injuries|Evin Demirel|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The aponeurosis crosses the medial side of the insertion of M. pterygoideus dorsalis medialis.
Jaw Musculature of the Mourning and White-winged Doves|Robert L. Merz
When the ends are brought together by rotation of these arytenoid cartilages, the medial surfaces touch.
The Psychology of Singing|David C. Taylor
The limestone cannot, therefore, be a part of the carboniferous or "medial."
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
In the Cherokee text both d and g have a medial sound, approximating the sounds of t and k respectively.
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees|James Mooney
Apart from countless medial and transitional forms, there are still large numbers that do not fit in any one of these categories.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross

British Dictionary definitions for medial

medial

/ (ˈmiːdɪəl) /

adjective

of or situated in the middle

ordinary or average in size

maths relating to an average

another word for median (def. 1), median (def. 2), median (def. 3)

zoology of or relating to a media

noun

phonetics a speech sound between being fortis and lenis; media

Derived forms of medial

medially, adverb

Word Origin for medial

C16: from Late Latin mediālis, from medius middle

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

medial

Origin of medial

OTHER WORDS FROM medial

Words nearby medial

Words related to medial

How to use medial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for medial

Derived forms of medial

Word Origin for medial