collateral
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.property or money that you promise to give to a bank if you cannot pay back a loan.
n.an asset or property pledged by a borrower as security for a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.
Simple“He used his house as collateral so the bank would lend him money for his new business.”
In context“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.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.the brochures, flyers, and digital content used to help sell a product.
n.the collection of media and printed materials used to support the sales of a product or service.
Simple“The design team is busy creating the sales collateral for the new product launch.”
In context“The marketing department updated all digital collateral to ensure the brand identity remained consistent across the various international territories.”
Synonymsmarketing materialsmedia - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.happening at the same time as something else, but not as the main part.
adj.descending from the same stock but in a different line; more broadly, accompanying or secondary to the main subject.
Simple“The war caused a lot of collateral damage to the buildings near the airport.”
In context“While the policy achieved its primary goal of reducing inflation, it also had several collateral effects on the local housing market.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a smaller blood vessel that provides another path for blood if the main one is blocked.
n.a subordinate or accessory part, such as a small blood vessel or nerve that provides an alternate route.
Simple“The doctor explained that the patient's body had grown collaterals to help blood reach the heart.”
In context“The surgeon noted that the chronic occlusion had stimulated the growth of extensive collateral circulation, which partially compensated for the restricted blood flow.”
“Guterres warned that the global food supply has become “collateral damage” in conflicts involving the US, Iran, and Israel; Russia and Ukraine; and the Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia.”
“Needless to say, Cambridge colleges will be relatively insulated from such collateral damage, which is likely to be most severe at less wealthy universities with less privileged intakes.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.