Pronunciation: [lˈatəɹə͡li] (IPA) 
The word "laterally" is pronounced /ˈleɪtərəli/ (lay-tuh-ruh-lee). It is spelled with an "e" after the "t" and before the second "r" because it comes from the Latin word "lateralis," which also has an "e" in it. The "i" at the end of the word is pronounced as "ee," and the stress falls on the second syllable. "Laterally" means something that is done or located on the side, or in a lateral direction.
Laterally is an adverb that refers to an action or movement conducted sideways or in a lateral direction. It implies the movement or placement of something to the side, without being oriented directly forward or backward. This term is commonly used in various contexts, including in the fields of anatomy, acoustics, physics, and sports.
In anatomy, laterally describes a movement or position that is situated or performed on either side of the body, away from the midline. For instance, if someone raises their arms laterally, they are extending their arms outwards from the sides of their body.
In acoustics, laterally is used to describe the side movement or reflection of sound waves. When sound travels, it can bounce off surfaces and be redirected laterally, altering its path and direction.
In physics, laterally pertains to any movement, force, or effect that occurs sideways or perpendicular to the direction of an object's motion. For example, friction can cause a car to skid laterally when driving around a corner at a high speed.
In sports, laterally describes movements that involve side-to-side actions. It can refer to the sideways agility and quickness of an athlete, such as a basketball player swiftly moving laterally to defend against an opponent.
Overall, laterally refers to actions, movements, or placements occurring in a horizontal plane to the side, away from a central point or main axis.
In the direction of the side.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "laterally" originated from the French word "latéral" which came from the Latin word "lateralis". In Latin, "lateralis" is derived from the noun "latus", meaning "side". The suffix "-alis" denotes "pertaining to", therefore "lateralis" means "pertaining to the side". This Latin term entered the English language in the early 17th century as "lateral". Over time, the adverbial form "laterally" was derived from "lateral" to describe actions or movements occurring on or towards the side.
