medial

American  

[mee-dee-uhl] / ˈmi di əl /

adjective

1. situated in or pertaining to the middle; median; intermediate.

2. pertaining to a mean or average; average.

3. ordinary.

4. Phonetics. within a word or syllable; neither initial nor final, as the t, a, and n in stand.

5. Entomology. pertaining to, involving, or situated near the media.

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noun

1. Phonetics.

   1. a medial sound or letter.

   2. media.

medial British  

/ ˈmiːdɪəl /

adjective

1. of or situated in the middle

2. ordinary or average in size

3. maths relating to an average

4. another word for median median median

5. zoology of or relating to a media

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noun

1. phonetics a speech sound between being fortis and lenis; media

Other Word Forms

• medially adverb
• postmedial adjective
• submedial adjective
• submedially adverb
• supermedial adjective
• supermedially adverb

Etymology

Origin of medial

First recorded in 1560–70, medial is from the Late Latin word mediālis middle. See medium, -al ¹

Example Sentences

With a torn medial collateral ligament in his right leg and a strained knee and torn hamstring in his left, it was unlikely he’d be able to drive the ball.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2025

They would identify the smell of bananas, garlic, licorice, fish and so on, while the researchers took recordings of the activity of individual neurons in their piriform cortex and medial temporal lobe.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025

She dislocated her shoulder the day before travelling to Paris, having previously torn the medial collateral ligament in her right knee.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2024

The running back suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament, according to ESPN, which reported Dobbins is expected to miss at least Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2024

Bill of equal length throughout, furnished with knob at base; nostrils medial; legs short; neck exceedingly long.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.