lateral
C1Technical, academic, formal; less frequent in casual conversation.
Definition
Meaning
Relating to or situated at the side of something, away from the midline.
Involving, moving in, or relating to a sideways direction. Also used in linguistics (lateral consonant), business (lateral thinking, lateral move), and medicine (lateral ligament).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can describe a physical position/direction, a type of thinking, or a specific type of sound. Its core idea of 'sideways' is applied to both concrete (lateral pass in rugby) and abstract (lateral career move) domains.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Usage frequencies are comparable across technical fields (medicine, engineering). The phrase 'lateral move/hire' is common in business in both variants.
Connotations
Neutral/technical in both. 'Lateral thinking' is strongly associated with Edward de Bono in both cultures.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American sports journalism due to the prominence of American football and the 'lateral pass', but the difference is marginal.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Lateral to + [noun]A lateral move into/within + [field/organisation]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lateral thinking”
- “Make a lateral move”
- “A lateral hire”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A career move to a position at a similar level of seniority in a different department or field, not a promotion.
Academic
Used across disciplines: in anatomy (lateral ventricle), physics (lateral strain), linguistics (lateral approximant).
Everyday
Rare, unless discussing sports (a lateral pass) or problem-solving ('We need some lateral thinking here.').
Technical
Precise descriptor of position/direction/movement away from the midline of a body, structure, or path.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The player lateraled the ball to avoid the tackle.
- He was penalised for lateralling the ball forward.
American English
- The quarterback lateraled the ball just as he was sacked.
- On the final play, they lateraled twice in desperation.
adverb
British English
- The tumour extends laterally from the main mass.
- The car skidded laterally on the ice.
American English
- The wind pushed the plane laterally off the runway.
- The bridge was designed to shift laterally during an earthquake.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The lateral windows in the room give a nice view of the garden.
- In rugby, you can only pass the ball backwards or laterally.
- The company encouraged lateral thinking to solve the marketing crisis.
- He made a lateral move from engineering into product management.
- The linguist explained the articulation of the lateral approximant /l/.
- The surgeon made a lateral incision to access the affected organ without disturbing the major nerves.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LADDER placed on its SIDE. LADDER + SIDE = LATERAL.
Conceptual Metaphor
SIDEWAYS IS INDIRECT / NON-LINEAR (e.g., lateral thinking, lateral career move).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'латеральный' which is a direct cognate but very bookish. In general contexts, 'боковой' is more natural. Do not translate 'lateral thinking' literally as 'боковое мышление'; use 'нестандартное мышление'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'lateral' to mean 'horizontal' (it specifically means 'sideways relative to a defined front/centre').
- Pronouncing it as /leɪˈtɪər.əl/ (incorrect) instead of /ˈlæt.ər.əl/ (correct).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'lateral' LEAST likely to be used accurately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in anatomical and technical contexts. 'Lateral' means away from the midline, 'medial' means toward the midline.
A method of solving problems indirectly and creatively, by approaching them from novel angles, rather than through traditional step-by-step logic.
Yes, primarily in sports like American football and rugby, meaning to make a sideways pass.
The core meaning is identical. The main difference is in usage frequency in certain sports, but the word itself is not region-specific in meaning.