lateral
gb/lˈætɚəl/ us/lˈætɚəl/
B2
English
~ 9500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
relation
1
relating to the side
At, from, or toward the side of something, not the middle or the front.
Usage pattern:
a lateral [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'lateral' (side) with 'literal' (not figurative). Another common mistake is using 'lateral' as an adverb, as in *'He moved lateral'*, instead of 'sideways' or 'laterally'.
Synonyms
side (Often used in compound adjectives like 'side view'; slightly more general and less technical than 'lateral'.)
|
sideways (Usually describes direction of movement rather than fixed position; more everyday and informal.)
Antonyms
central (Describes something located in or relating to the middle, not the side.)
|
frontal (Refers specifically to the front, contrasting with something on or from the side.)
Collocations
lateral movement
|lateral view
|lateral line
|lateral support
|lateral pressure
|lateral thinking
Themes
space
|movement
|anatomy
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The surgeon made a small lateral incision along the side of the knee.
- From a lateral view, the building’s curved shape is more obvious.
- The athlete felt pain on the lateral side of his ankle after the fall.
- Engineers added lateral support beams to stop the wall from leaning.
- The study looked at the lateral spread of the fire across the forest.
Learner examples
- The car was hit on the lateral side.
- We studied a lateral view of the skull in class.
- The wall needs more lateral support to stay straight.
- The X-ray shows a lateral image of her leg.
- He felt a sharp pain in the lateral part of his foot.
adjective
B2
relation
2
at the same job level
Describing a job change where a person stays at the same level, not a promotion and not a lower job.
Usage pattern:
a lateral [move/transfer/hire]
Common mistake:
Learners may think a 'lateral move' always means something negative, but it is neutral and often positive. Some also confuse 'lateral move' with 'promotion' and use them as if they were the same.
Synonyms
horizontal (Often used in business theory; more abstract and less common in everyday job talk than 'lateral'.)
|
sideways (Used informally in phrases like 'a sideways move'; can suggest lack of progress.)
Antonyms
promotional (Describes a move that raises someone to a higher level or rank, the opposite of staying at the same level.)
|
demotional (Describes a move to a lower position; contrasts with a same‑level lateral move.)
Collocations
lateral move
|lateral transfer
|lateral hire
|lateral recruitment
|lateral career change
Themes
business
|work
Examples
- She took a lateral move to marketing to broaden her skills.
- The company is open to lateral transfers between departments.
- He joined the firm as a lateral hire from a competing bank.
- A lateral career move can help you gain new experience without losing seniority.
- They encouraged managers to consider lateral development opportunities, not just promotions.
Learner examples
- He made a lateral move from sales to HR.
- She asked for a lateral transfer to another office.
- The law firm is looking for lateral hires this year.
- A lateral move can give you new skills.
- This job is a lateral step, not a promotion.
Noun
B2
action
3
sideways or backward football pass
In American football, a pass where the ball is thrown sideways or back, not forward.
Usage pattern:
to throw a lateral to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'lateral' here means any pass to the side in any sport, but in common use it mainly refers to passes in American or Canadian football.
Synonyms
backward pass (More technical description; clearly states direction, but 'lateral' is the standard football term.)
Antonyms
forward pass (A pass thrown toward the opponent’s goal line, which contrasts with a sideways or backward lateral.)
Collocations
throw a lateral
|pitch a lateral
|a lateral pass
|hook-and-lateral
|last-second lateral
Themes
sports
|communication
Examples
- With time running out, the quarterback flipped a lateral to the running back.
- The desperate play ended in a messy series of laterals across the field.
- He tried to throw a lateral, but the ball was fumbled and recovered by the defense.
- They practiced a hook-and-lateral that started with a short pass and ended in a long run.
- The coach warned them not to attempt a risky lateral so close to their own end zone.
Learner examples
- The player threw a lateral to his teammate.
- They scored after three quick laterals.
- He dropped the lateral and lost the ball.
- The team practiced a special play with a lateral.
- A bad lateral can change the game.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
4
same-level external hire
A worker hired from another company into a job at the same level, not as a beginner.
Usage pattern:
hire a lateral from [company/firm]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'lateral' always describes the job, not the person, and may say *'a lateral job'* when they mean 'a lateral' as a person or 'a lateral move' as the action.
Synonyms
experienced hire (General HR term; may include higher or lower roles, while 'lateral' focuses on same-level moves.)
Antonyms
entry-level hire (Describes someone starting in a junior position, not moving across at a similar level.)
Collocations
lateral from another firm
|lateral from a competitor
|lateral recruitment
|experienced lateral
|senior lateral
Themes
business
|work
Examples
- The law firm brought in a lateral from a top New York office.
- As a lateral, she already had a strong client base and industry contacts.
- The partners debated whether to promote internally or recruit a lateral.
- They are targeting laterals with five to seven years of experience in tax law.
- Most of the new partners this year are laterals from competing firms.
Learner examples
- The company hired a lateral from another bank.
- He joined as a lateral, not as a new graduate.
- They want a lateral with strong sales experience.
- The firm is looking for laterals from big law firms.
- As a lateral, she already knows the industry well.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
5
lateral consonant sound
In the study of sounds, a consonant made when the tongue blocks air in the middle and lets it go around the sides, like the English /l/ sound.
Usage pattern:
a lateral [consonant/sound]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'lateral' as a sound type with 'lateral' meaning 'side' in general English and not realize it is a specific technical term in phonetics.
Synonyms
lateral consonant (More explicit and common in teaching; adds the word 'consonant' for clarity.)
Antonyms
central consonant (A consonant where air flows over the center of the tongue, opposite to a lateral consonant.)
Collocations
alveolar lateral
|velar lateral
|lateral consonant
|lateral approximant
|clear lateral
Themes
language
|science
|education
|communication
Examples
- In English, the sound /l/ is the most common lateral.
- The language has a contrast between a plain lateral and a palatalized lateral.
- Students often confuse the lateral with a similar central approximant.
- The researcher described a rare voiceless alveolar lateral in the data.
- The chart marks each lateral with a separate symbol.
Learner examples
- The /l/ sound in English is a lateral.
- Some languages have more than one lateral.
- A lateral lets air move around the sides of the tongue.
- The teacher showed how to make a clear lateral.
- We listened to a recording of a velar lateral.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lateral
IPA
GB/lˈætɚəl/
US/lˈætɚəl/
Syllables & stress
lat - er - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (lat)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: lateral
Noun
- Base: lateral
- Plural: laterals
Word family
Forms
laterals
noun
Core family
laterally
adverb
Related words
bilateral
adjective C1
bilaterally
adverb
unilateral
adjective C1
unilaterally
adverb
multilateral
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
lateralize
verb
lateralization
noun
Expressions
hook and lateral
1/hˈʊk ˈænd lˈætɚəl/
fixed phrase
trick play with quick lateral
In American football, a trick play where one player catches a short pass and then quickly passes the ball sideways or back to a teammate.
Examples
- They won the game with a dramatic hook and lateral as time expired.
- The team practiced the hook and lateral all week before the big game.
- Defenders were fooled by the hook and lateral and left the field wide open.
lateral flow test
1/lˈætɚəl flˈoʊ tˈɛst/
fixed phrase
rapid strip-based medical test
A quick medical test where a liquid sample, like saliva or blood, moves along a paper strip to show a positive or negative result.
Examples
- Many people used lateral flow tests at home during the pandemic.
- You should do a lateral flow test before visiting the care home.
- The government provided free lateral flow tests to the public.
lateral hire
1/lˈætɚəl hˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
same-level external employee
A worker that a company brings in from another company for a job at the same level as before.
Examples
- Most partners at the firm started as lateral hires from other big firms.
- The bank is focusing on lateral hires to grow its investment division.
- They prefer lateral hires who can bring clients with them.
lateral move
1/lˈætɚəl mˈuv/
fixed phrase
job change at same level
A change to a different job that has about the same level, pay, and status, not higher and not lower.
Examples
- She took a lateral move to the IT department to learn new skills.
- Sometimes a lateral move can help your long-term career more than a small promotion.
- His manager suggested a lateral move instead of a raise this year.
lateral pass
1/lˈætɚəl pˈæs/
fixed phrase
sideways or back football pass
In American football, a pass where the ball is thrown to the side or back, not forward.
Examples
- The game ended with a wild lateral pass that almost scored a touchdown.
- They practiced a trick play involving two quick lateral passes.
- A risky lateral pass near your own end zone can be very dangerous.
lateral thinking
1/lˈætɚəl θˈɪŋkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
creative, indirect problem-solving
Finding answers by using new, creative ideas and looking at the problem in a different way, not just using normal step-by-step logic.
Examples
- The company values lateral thinking and rewards unusual solutions.
- This puzzle is designed to test your lateral thinking skills.
- We need more lateral thinking if we want to beat our competitors.