Medial vs. Lateral — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 21, 2023
Medial refers to being situated toward the middle of the body or an organ. Lateral refers to being situated toward the side. Both are directional terms used primarily in anatomy and medical contexts.
Difference Between Medial and Lateral
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Medial and Lateral are anatomical directional terms used to describe the positions of structures in the body relative to other structures or general body orientation. Medial means that a structure is closer to the midline or center of the body. Lateral, on the other hand, implies that a structure is further away from the midline and closer to the sides of the body.
The terms Medial and Lateral can be applied to various aspects in medical contexts beyond human anatomy. For instance, in discussing a medical image, one might say the medial portion of the image shows the structures close to the body's midline, while the lateral portion reveals those closer to the edges.
In everyday language, Medial and Lateral are less commonly used but can occasionally be employed in a similar directional sense. For example, the medial lanes of a highway would be those closest to the center, while the lateral lanes would be those closest to the edges or sides.
In some cases, Medial can also describe other central or middle positions, not strictly limited to anatomical or medical contexts. Lateral also has applications in physics and engineering, describing phenomena or structures that are side-oriented. In these contexts, too, medial implies centrality, while lateral implies a side orientation.
Comparison Chart
Anatomical Direction
Toward the midline
Away from the midline
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Common Usage
Medical and anatomical
Medical and anatomical
Broader Context
Central or middle
Side or peripheral
Example Sentence
Medial aspect of knee
Lateral aspect of thigh
Language Utility
Less common in everyday language
Less common in everyday language
Compare with Definitions
Medial
Pertaining to a middle position or section.
The medial chapter of the book is the longest.
Lateral
Situated on the side of the body or an organ.
The lungs are lateral to the heart.
Medial
Occurring within or related to the middle.
The medial segment of the population is the middle class.
Lateral
Relating to the sides or direction toward the sides.
The lateral branches of the tree were trimmed.
Medial
Situated close to the midline of the body or organ.
The heart is located in the medial part of the chest cavity.
Lateral
Of, relating to, or situated at or on the side.
Medial
Central in location or position.
The medial lanes of the highway are usually the busiest.
Lateral
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
Made a lateral move within the company.
Medial
Situated in the middle.
Lateral
(Linguistics) Of, relating to, or being a sound produced by breath passing along one or both sides of the tongue.
Medial
Relating to, situated in, or extending toward the middle; median.
Lateral
A lateral part, projection, passage, or appendage.
Medial
(Linguistics) Being a sound, syllable, or letter occurring between the initial and final positions in a word or morpheme.
Lateral
(Football) A lateral pass.
Medial
(Mathematics) Being or relating to an average or a mean.
Lateral
(Linguistics) A lateral sound, such as (l).
Medial
Average; ordinary.
Lateral
To execute a lateral pass.
Medial
A voiced stop, such as (b), (d), or (g). Also called media2.
Lateral
To pass (the ball) sideways or backward.
Medial
A sound, letter, or form of a letter that is neither initial nor final.
Lateral
To the side; of or pertaining to the side.
Instead of a promotion, I opted for a lateral move to a similar position in the marketing department.
Medial
(math) Of or pertaining to a mean or average.
Medial allegation
Lateral
Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane.
The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral.
A fish senses changes in hydrodynamic pressure with its lateral line.
Medial
Situated in or near the middle; not at either end.
Lateral
(disease) Affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body.
Medial
Pertaining to the inside; closer to the median plane of the body or the midline of an organ.
The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral.
Lateral
(physics) Acting or placed at right angles to a line of motion or strain.
Medial
(anatomy) Pertaining to the middle layer of a blood vessel, to its tunica media.
Mönckeberg medial sclerosis
Lateral
(UK) Non-linear or unconventional, as in, lateral thinking.
Medial
(entomology) Of or pertaining to the media and/or the areas of the wing next to it.
Lateral
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.
Medial
(phonetics) of a speech sound In the middle of a word.
Lateral
An object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else.
Medial
(phonetics) of a consonant Central: produced when air flows across the center of the mouth over the tongue.
Lateral
(linguistics) A sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral).
Medial
(linguistics) Closer to the addressee.
Lateral
(American football) A lateral pass.
Medial
Any of various things that occur in the middle.
Lateral
(business) An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.
Medial
One or more letters that occur in the middle of a word.
Lateral
To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction.
Medial
Of or pertaining to a mean or average; mean; as, medial alligation.
Lateral
(American football) To execute a lateral pass.
Medial
See 2d Media.
Lateral
Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree.
Medial
Dividing an animal into right and left halves
Lateral
Lying at, or extending toward, the side; away from the mesial plane; external; - opposed to mesial.
Medial
Relating to or situated in or extending toward the middle
Lateral
Directed to the side; as, a lateral view of a thing.
Medial
Used to describe a particular kind of articulatory phonetics.
In some languages, medial consonants are quite common.
Lateral
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.
Lateral
A part or extension of something that points sideways, as a drift in a mine that goes to the side from the main one.
Lateral
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.
Lateral
A pass to a receiver upfield from the passer
Lateral
Situated at or extending to the side;
The lateral branches of a tree
Shot out sidelong boughs
Lateral
Lying away from the median and sagittal plane of a body;
Lateral lemniscus
Lateral
In physics, related to forces or movement sideways.
Lateral forces were exerted during the experiment.
Lateral
In business, a movement or transfer from one department to another without ascending or descending in rank.
She made a lateral move within the company.
Lateral
In linguistics, a sound produced with airflow over the sides of the tongue.
The l sound is a lateral sound in English.
Common Curiosities
What does Lateral mean?
Lateral refers to being situated toward the side of the body or an organ.
Is Lateral used outside of medical contexts?
Yes, it can refer to side-oriented phenomena in physics, linguistics, and other fields.
Is Medial a common term in everyday language?
It is less commonly used in everyday language and is more specialized.
What does Medial mean?
Medial refers to being situated toward the middle of the body or an organ.
Is Medial used outside of medical contexts?
Less commonly, but it can refer to central or middle positions in various contexts.
Do Medial and Lateral apply only to anatomy?
Primarily, but they can also be used in other fields like physics and linguistics.
Can Medial and Lateral be used interchangeably?
No, they refer to different directional aspects.
What is the opposite of Medial?
Lateral is the opposite of Medial in anatomical contexts.
What is the opposite of Lateral?
Medial is the opposite of Lateral in anatomical contexts.
Is Lateral a common term in everyday language?
Like Medial, it is also less commonly used in everyday language.
How would you use Lateral in a sentence?
"The lungs are lateral to the heart."
How would you use Medial in a sentence?
"The heart is in the medial part of the chest cavity."
Can Lateral refer to alternative options in decision-making?
Not usually; it is most often a spatial term.
Are Medial and Lateral used in linguistics?
Yes, in linguistics, they can refer to types of consonant articulations.
Can Medial refer to a psychological 'middle'?
Typically not; it is generally a spatial term.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
