What does "collateral" mean?

1. (loan security) property or money that you promise to give to a bank if you cannot pay back a loan. 2. (marketing materials) the brochures, flyers, and digital content used to help sell a product. 3. (accompanying or secondary) happening at the same time as something else, but not as the main part. 4. (blood vessel branch) a smaller blood vessel that provides another path for blood if the main one is blocked.

collateral

n. · adj.

US //kəˈɫætɝəɫ// UK //kəlˈætəɹəl// col·lat·er·al

1 loan security (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

property or money that you promise to give to a bank if you cannot pay back a loan.

an asset or property pledged by a borrower as security for a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.

Example

He used his house as collateral so the bank would lend him money for his new business.

Example

The lender required the borrower to provide high-quality liquid assets as collateral to mitigate the risk of a potential default during the economic downturn.
2 marketing materials (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

the brochures, flyers, and digital content used to help sell a product.

the collection of media and printed materials used to support the sales of a product or service.

Example

The design team is busy creating the sales collateral for the new product launch.

Example

The marketing department updated all digital collateral to ensure the brand identity remained consistent across the various international territories.
- marketing materials
- media

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3 accompanying or secondary (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

happening at the same time as something else, but not as the main part.

descending from the same stock but in a different line; more broadly, accompanying or secondary to the main subject.

Example

The war caused a lot of collateral damage to the buildings near the airport.

Example

While the policy achieved its primary goal of reducing inflation, it also had several collateral effects on the local housing market.
- direct
- primary
4 blood vessel branch (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Medicine

a smaller blood vessel that provides another path for blood if the main one is blocked.

a subordinate or accessory part, such as a small blood vessel or nerve that provides an alternate route.

Example

The doctor explained that the patient's body had grown collaterals to help blood reach the heart.

Example

The surgeon noted that the chronic occlusion had stimulated the growth of extensive collateral circulation, which partially compensated for the restricted blood flow.
- branch
- accessory

Origin

Recorded since c.1378, from Old French, from Medieval Latin collaterālis, from Latin col- (“together with”) (a form of con-) + the stem of latus (“side”). By surface analysis, col- + lateral.