contralateral
|con-tra-lat-er-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌkɑntrəˈlætərəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌkɒntrəˈlæt(ə)rəl/
on the opposite side
Etymology
'contralateral' originates from Latin elements, specifically 'contra-' (from Latin 'contra') and 'lateralis' (from Latin 'latus'), where 'contra-' meant 'against, opposite' and 'latus' meant 'side'.
'contralateral' was formed in New/medical Latin as 'contralateralis' (combining 'contra-' + 'lateralis') and was adopted into modern English with the same form and meaning.
Initially it meant 'on or toward the opposite side' and over time has retained this specialized anatomical/neurobiological meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
situated on or affecting the opposite side of the body or structure relative to another point of reference (especially used in medicine and neurology).
A stroke in the left hemisphere often causes contralateral weakness of the right arm and leg.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/05 04:26