collateral

UK: /kəˈlæt^ərəl/, /kɒˈlæt^ərəl/

US: /kəˈlætərəl/

US: (kə lat′ər əl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

col•lat•er•al /kəˈlætərəl/   n. [uncountable]

1. Business security, pledged or promised to a bank or other lender if payment of a loan cannot be made:
   Their house was their collateral for the college loan.

adj. 

2. accompanying;
   auxiliary:
   Collateral damage during the war meant the damage inflicted on nonmilitary targets.
3. additional and proving or confirming:
   We found this collateral evidence at the scene of the crime.
4. made secure by collateral:
   collateral property.
5. (of a relative) descended from the same stock, but in a different line:
   [before a noun] collateral relatives descended through different sons or daughters.

col•lat•er•al•ly, adv. See -lat-².

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

col•lat•er•al  (kə lat′ər əl), n. 

1. Business security pledged for the payment of a loan:
   He gave the bank some stocks and bonds as collateral for the money he borrowed.
2. Anatomy
   • Anatomy a subordinate or accessory part.
   • Anatomy a side branch, as of a blood vessel or nerve.
   • Anatomy See collateral circulation. 
3. a relative descended from the same stock, but in a different line.

adj. 

4. accompanying; auxiliary:
   He received a scholarship and collateral aid.
5. additional;
   confirming:
   collateral evidence; collateral security.
6. secured by collateral:
   a collateral loan.
7. aside from the main subject, course, etc.;
   secondary:
   These accomplishments are merely collateral to his primary goal.
8. descended from the same stock, but in a different line;
   not lineal:
   A cousin is a collateral relative.
9. pertaining to those so descended.
10. situated at the side:
    a collateral wing of a house.
11. situated or running side by side;
    parallel:
    collateral ridges of mountains.
12. Botany standing side by side.

• Medieval Latin collaterālis, equivalent. to col- col-¹ + laterālis lateral
• Anglo-French)
• Middle English (1350–1400

col•lat•er•al•i•ty  (kō lat′ə ral′i tē), col•lat′er•al•ness, n.  col•lat′er•al•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

collateral / kɒˈlætərəl kə-/ noun

1. security pledged for the repayment of a loan
2. (as modifier): a collateral loan
3. a person, animal, or plant descended from the same ancestor as another but through a different line

adjective

1. situated or running side by side
2. descended from a common ancestor but through different lines
3. serving to support or corroborate

Etymology: 14th Century: from Medieval Latin collaterālis, from Latin com- together + laterālis of the side, from latus side

colˈlaterally adverb