anterior-medial
|an-te-ri-or-me-di-al|
🇺🇸
/ænˌtɪriˈɔr ˈmiːdiəl/
🇬🇧
/ænˌtɪəriˈə ˈmiːdɪəl/
front + middle
Etymology
'anterior-medial' originates from Latin and New Latin, specifically the words 'anterior' (from Latin 'ante', meaning 'before/front') and 'medial' (from Latin 'medialis', from 'medius', meaning 'middle').
'anterior' entered English via Medieval Latin 'anterior' (comparative of 'ante'); 'medial' came via Medieval/New Latin 'medialis' from 'medius'. The compound form (rendered as 'anterior-medial' or 'anteromedial') developed in modern medical and anatomical English to specify a combined directional meaning.
Initially, 'anterior' meant 'more before' (in time/position) and 'medial' meant 'of the middle'; over time the combined term came to be used specifically as an anatomical directional adjective meaning 'toward the front and toward the midline'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
located toward the front (anterior) and toward the midline (medial) of the body or of an anatomical structure; situated on the front-inner side.
The anteromedial aspect of the knee is often examined for ligament injuries.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/05 23:43