Lateral: Definition, Usage & Key Examples

Meaning 1：relating to the side (lateral)

lateral 🔊

/ˈlætərəl/

adj.

Of or relating to the side of something, not the front or back.

Lateral meaning illustrated by a football player making a sharp sideways pass to a teammate.

relating to the side 🔊

➕

/rɪˈleɪtɪŋ tə ðə saɪd/

adj.

Describing something that is positioned at, directed towards, or connected with the side of an object or body, rather than the front or back.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'lateralis', derived from 'latus' meaning 'side'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'side-al' – lateral relates to sides, not front or back.

📖 Example

In football, a clever lateral pass to a teammate on the wing can completely open up the opposing team's defense. 🔊 In football, a clever pass made sideways to a teammate on the wing can completely break through the opposing team's defense.

🔗 Collocations

lateral move – a sideways career change, often without promotion

lateral thinking – solving problems through an indirect and creative approach

lateral pass – a pass made sideways in sports like American football or rugby

🔄 Synonyms

side (adj.) – positioned on the left or right

sideways (adj.) – directed or moving to the side

flanking (adj.) – positioned on the side, especially in a tactical context

🚫 Antonyms

frontal (adj.) – relating to the front

central (adj.) – relating to the center

🌱 Derivatives

laterally (adv.) – in a lateral direction

lateralization (n.) – the process of moving to the side, or specialization of brain hemispheres

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'latus' for 'side'. Used in anatomy for side structures and popularized by 'lateral thinking', a creative problem-solving method coined by Edward de Bono.