Word
medial
Phoneticsme·di·al, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmidiəɫ/
UK/mˈiːdiːəl/
Definition
adj. situated in the middle or toward the center of something. In medicine, it describes a part of the body that is closer to the middle line.
adj. situated in or pertaining to the middle; in anatomy, specifically relating to the midline of an organism or the inner side of a limb.
Examples
“The medial part of the knee often feels the most pressure.”
“The surgeon made a small incision on the medial side of the ankle to repair the damaged ligament.”
“In phonetics, a medial consonant is one that occurs in the middle of a word, contrasting with those found in initial or final positions.”
Examples
simple
“The medial part of the knee often feels the most pressure.”
contextual
“The surgeon made a small incision on the medial side of the ankle to repair the damaged ligament.”
complex
“In phonetics, a medial consonant is one that occurs in the middle of a word, contrasting with those found in initial or final positions.”
Usage
Often used in technical or medical contexts to specify location relative to a center point; typically precedes the noun it modifies.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin mediālis (“middle”), from medius (“that is in the middle or midst”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/medial