What does collaterally mean?
"Collaterally" is a formal adverb meaning in an indirect, incidental, or subordinate manner. When something happens collaterally, it occurs not as the main aim of an action but as a secondary consequence running alongside it — as when a policy designed to curb inflation also, collaterally, raises borrowing costs for households. The word derives from the same Latin root as "lateral" (from "latus," meaning side), so its core image is that of something moving or operating along the side of a main path rather than head-on. It appears most often in legal, financial, political, and academic contexts, where precision about direct versus indirect effects matters; in ordinary speech it is uncommon, with speakers favoring simpler alternatives such as "indirectly" or "incidentally." Understanding the term is useful for reading contracts, policy analyses, and scholarly prose, where it signals that an outcome was real but not the primary object of the action that produced it.
adverbIn a collateral or subordinate manner; indirectly rather than as the main purpose or effect of something.
- In an indirect or incidental manner, as a secondary effect or consequence alongside a main one.
- Side by side or in parallel; acting along a parallel line rather than converging.
"The new policy will collaterally affect small suppliers who were never its intended target."
"The merger was intended to cut costs, but it collaterally reduced competition across the region."
"The two committees worked collaterally on separate sections of the report before combining their findings."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of collaterally
"Collaterally" derives from the adjective "collateral," which entered English in the early modern period from Medieval Latin "collateralis," itself formed from Latin "com-" (together) plus "lateralis" (of the side), from "latus," meaning side. The adverb was formed by adding the standard English adverbial suffix "-ly." Its Latin relatives include "lateral," "bilateral," and "equilateral," all built on the same root notion of "side."
Related word forms
How collaterally is actually used
"Collaterally" is a formal word found mainly in legal, financial, and academic writing. It is relatively rare compared with its base adjective "collateral," and many writers prefer phrases like "as a side effect" or "incidentally" in everyday prose.
Easily confused with collaterally
"Collateral" is an adjective or noun referring to something side-by-side or pledged as security for a loan, while "collaterally" is the adverb describing an action done indirectly or incidentally.