Linear vs. Lateral — What's the Difference?

Arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line

Of, relating to, or situated at or on the side.

Progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps; sequential

Of or constituting a change within an organization or hierarchy to a position at a similar level, as in salary or responsibility, to the one being left

Of, relating to, or resembling a line; straight.

(Linguistics) Of, relating to, or being a sound produced by breath passing along one or both sides of the tongue.

In, of, describing, described by, or related to a straight line.

A lateral part, projection, passage, or appendage.

Having only one dimension.

(Football) A lateral pass.

Characterized by, composed of, or emphasizing drawn lines rather than painterly effects.

(Linguistics) A lateral sound, such as (l).

(Botany) Narrow and elongated with nearly parallel margins

To execute a lateral pass.

Having the form of a line; straight or roughly straight; following a direct course.

To pass (the ball) sideways or backward.

Of or relating to lines.

To the side; of or pertaining to the side.

Made, or designed to be used, in a step-by-step, sequential manner.

Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.

Long and narrow, with nearly parallel sides.

(disease) Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.

(mathematics) Of or relating to a class of polynomial of the form $y\; =\; ax\; +\; b$. Category:en:Polynomials

(physics) Acting or placed at right angles to a line of motion or strain.

(physics) A type of length measurement involving only one spatial dimension as opposed to area or volume.

(UK) Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.

(radio slang) linear amplifier.

Pertaining to speech sounds generated by partially blocking the egress of the airstream with the tongue, leaving space on one or both sides of the occlusion for air passage.

Of or pertaining to a line; consisting of lines; in a straight direction; lineal.

An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.

Like a line; narrow; of the same breadth throughout, except at the extremities; as, a linear leaf.

(linguistics) A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).

Thinking in a step-by-step analytical and logical fashion; contrasted with holistic, i.e. thinking in terms of complex interrelated patterns; as, linear thinkers.

(American football) A lateral pass.

Designating or involving an equation whose terms are of the first degree

(business) An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.

Of or in or along or relating to a line; involving a single dimension;

To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.

Of a circuit or device having an output that is proportional to the input;

(American football) To execute a lateral pass.

Of a leaf shape; long and narrow

Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree.

Measured lengthwise;

Lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; - opposed to mesial.

Directed to the side; as, a lateral view of a thing.

A short pass to a receiver who is upfield from the passer, i.e. is behind the passer relative to the direction of the passer's goal.

A part or extension of something that points sideways, as a drift in a mine that goes to the side from the main one.

To pass the footbal to a receiver who is behind the passer; to make a lateral pass; as, the ball was lateraled to the fullback, who ran it for a touchdown.

A pass to a receiver upfield from the passer

Situated at or extending to the side;

Lying away from the median and sagittal plane of a body;