What does "collateral" mean?
A security or guarantee (usually an asset) pledged for the repayment of a loan if one cannot procure enough funds to repay.
Collateral
/kəˈlætəɹəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A security or guarantee (usually an asset) pledged for the repayment of a loan if one cannot procure enough funds to repay.
- Grammar: collateral is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accessory, accident, accidental, accompaniment.
- Useful contrasts: lineal, central, essential.
- Usage evidence: We'll use the house as collateral so we can borrow some money.
How to use "collateral"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "collateral" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "collateral" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "collateral" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "collateral" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "collateral" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accessory" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "collateral", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A security or guarantee (usually an asset) pledged for the repayment of a loan if one cannot procure enough funds to repay. countable, uncountable
""The decline in the quality of eligible collateral is a grave problem. The ECB is now buying corporate bonds that are close to junk, and the haircuts can barely deal with a one-notch credit downgrade. The reputational risk of such actions by a central bank would have been unthinkable in the past.""
- 2 a security pledged for the repayment of a loan wordnet
- 3 A collateral (not linear) family member. archaic, countable, uncountable
- 4 A branch of a bodily part or system of organs. countable, uncountable
"Besides the arteries blood streams through numerous veins we call collaterals."
- 5 Printed materials or content of electronic media used to enhance sales of products (short form of collateral material). countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A thinner blood vessel providing an alternate route to blood flow in case the main vessel becomes occluded. countable, uncountable
- 7 A contemporary or rival. archaic, countable, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Parallel, in the same vein, side by side. not-comparable
"Her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are torn and Vonn has a lateral fracture of the tibial plateau, the upper end of the tibia or shin bone."
- 2 Corresponding; accompanying, concomitant. not-comparable
"Yet the attempt may give / Collateral interest to this homely tale."
- 3 Being aside from the main subject, target, or goal. not-comparable
"collateral damage"
- 4 Of an indirect ancestral relationship, as opposed to lineal descendency. not-comparable
"a collateral descendant"
- 5 Relating to a collateral in the sense of an obligation or security. not-comparable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Expensive to the extent of being paid through a loan. not-comparable
- 7 Coming or directed along the side. not-comparable
"collateral pressure"
- 8 Acting in an indirect way. not-comparable
"If by direct or by collateral hand They find us touched, we will our kingdom give […] To you in satisfaction."
- 9 Having the phloem and xylem adjacent. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 occurring with or following as a consequence wordnet
- 2 descended from a common ancestor but through different lines wordnet
- 3 situated or running side by side wordnet
- 4 additional but secondary; auxiliary; wordnet
- 5 serving to support or corroborate wordnet
Example
"We'll use the house as collateral so we can borrow some money."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "collateral"?
Common synonyms include: accessory, accident, accidental, accompaniment, accompanying, accompanying.
How do you use "collateral" in a sentence?
We'll use the house as collateral so we can borrow some money.
How do you pronounce "collateral"?
Pronounced /kəˈlætəɹəl/.
Etymology
Recorded since c.1378, from Old French, from Medieval Latin collaterālis, from Latin col- (“together with”) (a form of con-) + the stem of latus (“side”). By surface analysis, col- + lateral.