Origin: Latin suffix -al
Lateral has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
a pass to a receiver upfield from the passer
"The quarterback threw a perfect lateral to the wideback who was running alongside him instead of downfield."
An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
"The new ventilation duct runs along the lateral wall of the boiler room to avoid blocking any central equipment."
In plain English: A lateral is an employee who moves to a different job at the same level within their company instead of getting promoted or demoted.
"The lateral was responsible for defending our right wing during the match."
To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.
"The skier moved laterally across the slope to avoid the falling tree."
In plain English: To move sideways away from your current direction.
"The manager laterally moved him to sales, so he no longer reports directly to her."
To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
"The lateral windows on either side of the hallway let in plenty of light."
Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
"The lateral muscles of the thigh are located on the outer sides of the leg, farthest from the body's midline."
In plain English: Lateral means moving sideways rather than forward, backward, up, or down.
"The lateral windows in this building face directly onto the street, unlike the ones on the other side which look into the courtyard."
Usage: Use "lateral" to describe anything positioned toward the sides rather than at the center or front/back, such as lateral thinking which involves approaching problems from an unconventional angle. Avoid confusing it with words like "medial," which specifically refers to structures located near the midline of the body.
The word lateral comes from the Latin laterālis, which originally meant "belonging to the side." It was formed by combining latus ("side" or "flank") with an adjective-forming suffix.