adj Uncommon

medial

MEE-dee-uhl

Quiz me More like this

Medial (adj) means Located in or near the middle rather than at either end. Example: “The medial side of the knee faces the other leg.”

adj

Located in or near the middle rather than at either end.

"Her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are torn and Vonn has a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau, the upper end of the tibia or shin bone." — Jen Christiensen, Vonn’s injury ‘career-delayer,’ not ‘career ender’ (2013)

"The medial side of the knee faces the other knee, while the outer side of the knee is lateral."

"The medial side of the knee faces the other leg."

"Linguists study how a sound changes when it appears in the medial position of a word."

How to use medial

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes something positioned in the middle, whether in anatomy, language, or geometry.

Easily confused with

median → medium →

Common pairings

medial position medial side medial nerve

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like medial.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: medials
Comparative: more medial
Superlative: most medial

Test yourself on “medial” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ side of the knee faces the other leg.

Etymology

From Latin mediālis, built from medius ("middle") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ālis.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

View more →

central middle intermediate mesial medium median

Antonyms

lateral

Related words

important early late heart main middle average central

Rhymes for medial

dial trial aerial serial filial denial racial social burial facial menial fluvial

See all rhymes for medial →

Frequently asked questions

What does “medial” mean?

The word “medial” means located in or near the middle rather than at either end. In plain terms, describes something positioned in the middle, whether in anatomy, language, or geometry.

How do you pronounce “medial”?

“Medial” is pronounced MEE-dee-uhl (/ˈmiː.di.əl/ in IPA).

How do you use “medial” in a sentence?

Here is “medial” used in a sentence: “The medial side of the knee faces the other leg.”

What part of speech is “medial”?

“Medial” is an adjective.

Where does the word “medial” come from?

The word “medial” comes from Latin. From Latin mediālis, built from medius ("middle") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ālis.

Is “medial” a common word?

“Medial” is an uncommon word in modern English.

People also searched

important early late heart main middle average central