collateral

Affecting people or things beyond the main aim of an action.

• The attack caused collateral damage.
• The policy had several collateral benefits.
• Officials failed to consider the collateral effects on small businesses.

Similar words: secondary, incidental, indirect

Opposites: direct

Common phrases: collateral damage, collateral effects, collateral benefits

Running alongside each other in the same direction.

• The diagram shows two collateral lines.
• Collateral branches run alongside the main stem.
• The drawing places the structures in collateral positions.

Similar words: parallel, side by side

Common phrases: collateral lines, collateral branches

Related through a family branch, such as a cousin, rather than through parents and children.

• A cousin is a collateral relative.
• The estate passed to a collateral heir.
• Researchers traced a collateral branch of the family.

Similar words: indirect

Opposites: lineal

Common phrases: collateral relative, collateral descendant, collateral branch

Coming from or acting along the side of something.

• The support resists collateral pressure.
• A collateral force pushed the structure sideways.
• The engineer measured collateral pressure on the wall.

Similar words: lateral

Common phrases: collateral pressure, collateral force

Property a lender can take if you fail to pay back a loan.

• The bank requires collateral.
• She offered her car as collateral for the loan.
• What assets can we use as collateral?

How to use it: use something as collateral (They used their house as collateral.); collateral for a loan (The land serves as collateral for the loan.)

Similar words: security, guarantee

Common phrases: as collateral, provide collateral, collateral for something

Printed or digital material used to help sell products or services.

• We need new sales collateral.
• The team updated its marketing collateral before the launch.
• Our digital collateral includes videos and product guides.

Similar words: promotional material, sales material

Common phrases: marketing collateral, sales collateral, digital collateral

A side branch of a body structure, such as a nerve or blood vessel.

• The axon has a small collateral.
• Several collaterals branch from this nerve fiber.
• The diagram shows where each collateral leaves the main structure.

Similar words: side branch

Common phrases: an axon collateral, a nerve collateral

A smaller blood vessel that carries blood around a blocked main vessel.

• A collateral carries blood around the blockage.
• Doctors found several collaterals near the blocked artery.
• This collateral helps maintain blood flow to the heart.

Similar words: collateral vessel

Common phrases: a coronary collateral, a small collateral