What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Lateral vs Diagonal - What's the difference?

lateral | diagonal |

As adjectives the difference between lateral and diagonal

is that lateral is lateral while diagonal is (geometry) joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron).

As a noun diagonal is

something arranged diagonally or obliquely.

lateral

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • 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.
  • (anatomy) Pertaining to the left or right of the body; further from the midline.
  • 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.
  • (linguistics) Pertaining to sounds generated by partially blocking the egress of the airstream with the tip of the tongue touching the alveolar ridge, leaving space on one or both sides of the occlusion for air passage.
  • Synonyms

    *

    Antonyms

    * (anatomy) medial * (geometric) longitudinal, vertical

    Derived terms

    * laterally

    Coordinate terms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • an object, such as a passage or a protrusion, that is situated on the side of something else
  • (linguistics) a sound produced through lateral pronunciation (such as /l/ in lateral )
  • (American football) a lateral pass
  • An employee hired for a position at the same organizational level or salary as their previous position.
  • See also

    * (lateral consonant)

    Verb

  • To move (oneself or something) in a lateral direction
  • (American football) To execute a lateral pass
  • diagonal

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (geometry) Joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron).
  • Having a slanted or oblique direction, lines or markings.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=January 12 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Liverpool 2 - 1 Liverpool , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The visitors' undoing was caused by a diagonal ball from the right which was nodded into the six-yard area by Ian Evatt and finished off by Campbell.}}
  • Pertaining to the front left and back right (or the front right and back left) legs of a quadruped.
  • Synonyms

    * (having a slanted or oblique direction) aslant, aslope, slanted, slanting, sloped, sloping

    Derived terms

    * diagonally * diagonalization

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • something arranged diagonally or obliquely
  • a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric
  • a punctuation mark used to separate related items of information
  • (geometry) a diagonal line or plane
  • (geometry) a line joining non-adjacent vertices of a polygon.
  • Synonyms

    * (punctuation mark) , forward slash, separatrix, slash, solidus, stroke, virgule * (line or cut across a fabric) bias

    Antonyms

    * (punctuation mark) backslash