medial

adjective

me·​di·​al ˈmē-dē-əl 

1

: mean, average

2

a

: being or occurring in the middle

b

: extending toward the middle

especially : lying or extending toward the median axis of the body

3

: situated between the extremes of initial and final in a word or morpheme

medial noun

medially

ˈmē-dē-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of medial

• middle
• halfway
• median
• intermediate
• central
• intermediary
• mid

Examples of medial in a Sentence

four is the medial number between one and seven

Recent Examples on the Web

Also of note is the Air Max badge just below the lateral and medial Swoosh, which has been given a reflective treatment that will illuminate in low-lighting conditions. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Elliss was flagged for unnecessary roughness for the hit, and Washington, after a brief trip to the blue medial tent, returned five plays later to catch his first receiving touchdown of the season. — ABC News, 1 Nov. 2026

Despite its bond with performance, cringe finds its medial match in such figurative painting. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

The operation is a grafting procedure in which doctors take tendons from another part of the body – the forearm, hamstring, hip or knee – and replace the medial ligament in the elbow with the grafted portion. — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin medialis, from Latin medius

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing medial

• medial collateral ligament

Rhymes for medial

• dorsomedial
• ventromedial
• postmedial
• remedial

Kids Definition

medial

adjective

me·​di·​al ˈmēd-ē-əl 

1

: median entry 2 sense 1

2

: ordinary entry 2 sense 2, average

medially

-ə-lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

medial

adjective

me·​di·​al ˈmēd-ē-əl 

1

: lying or extending in the middle

especially, of a body part : lying or extending toward the median axis of the body

the medial surface of the tibia

2

: of or relating to the media of a blood vessel

necrosis and lipid deposition with medial involvement

medially

-ə-lē 

adverb