ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lateral

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɫætɝəɫ// UK //lˈætəɹəl// lat·er·al

n. a move to a different job at the same level or pay as your current one. You use this when you change roles without getting a promotion or a demotion.

n. a sideways move within an organisation to a position of equivalent status or salary. Often used in corporate contexts to describe career paths that broaden experience rather than increasing rank.


SIMPLE

She decided to take a lateral to the marketing department.

CONTEXTUAL

After five years in sales, he requested a lateral into product development to learn a new side of the business.

COMPLEX

The company encourages internal laterals to ensure that senior management possesses a holistic understanding of various departmental operations before they ascend to executive roles.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin laterālis (“belonging to the side”), from latus (“the side or flank”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).

Usage

Commonly used in professional and corporate environments; often appears as part of the phrase 'lateral move'.

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