Collateral
/kəˈlætəɹəl/
Last Updated: January 2, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Scrabble:12 ptsWWF:16 pts10 letters
Definition of Collateral
noun
- A security or guarantee (usually an asset) pledged for the repayment of a loan if one cannot procure enough funds to repay.
- (genealogy) A collateral (not linear) family member.
- A branch of a bodily part or system of organs.
"Besides the arteries blood streams through numerous veins we call collaterals."
- Printed materials or content of electronic media used to enhance sales of products (short form of collateral material).
- A thinner blood vessel providing an alternate route to blood flow in case the main vessel becomes occluded.
adjective
- Parallel, along the same vein, side by side.
- Corresponding; accompanying, concomitant.
- Being aside from the main subject, target, or goal.
"Although not a direct cause, the border skirmish was certainly a collateral incitement for the war."
- (genealogy) Of an indirect ancestral relationship, as opposed to lineal descendency.
"Uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces are collateral relatives."
- Relating to a collateral in the sense of an obligation or security.
Anagrams of Collateral
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Synonyms & Antonyms
SYNONYMS
pledgeancillarysubordinatetangential