laterally

[ lat-er-uh-lee ]

adverb

1. from side to side; along a plane:

   You can force plants to grow wide and bushy by training the growth tips to grow laterally rather than cutting off the tops of the shoots.

2. in a way that involves a broadly equivalent position, office, etc.:

   She worked as a nurse for many years and then, moving laterally, was employed as an area supervisor in the social work field.

Word History and Origins

Origin of laterally¹

lateral ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"The pedalling feels very different and the overall sensations of moving on the water, either laterally or vertically, is wildly different from any kind of cycling," Lambie says.

From BBC

When you punch a nonauxetic material, it gets thinner and expands laterally.

From Science Daily

The maneuver is a foundational element of the Atlanta style, where a skater crosses feet laterally in sync with the music.

From New York Times

"According to beam theory, when you bend a blade-like structure laterally sideways in the direction of their narrower dimension, they are quite a lot weaker compared to the main direction of strength," Tseng said.

From Science Daily

The blades are also more wildlife-friendly: because they rotate laterally, rather than slicing down from above, they are easier for birds to avoid.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• sideward
• to the side