: occurring on or acting in conjunction with a part on the opposite side of the body

Examples of contralateral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preventing a contralateral breast cancer prevents cancer from arising in the other breast, but not metastases elsewhere in the body. Angus Chen, STAT, 25 July 2024 Two dying patients, on being removed from ventilator support, exhibited surges of gamma-wave activity within the temporo–parieto–occipital junctions, as well as between the TPO zones and the contralateral prefrontal areas. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

contra- + lateral entry 1, probably after German contraliteral

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contralateral was in 1882

Dictionary Entries Near contralateral

Cite this Entry

“Contralateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contralateral. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.

Medical Definition

contralateral

adjective
: occurring on, affecting, or acting in conjunction with a part on the opposite side of the body
the motor cortex controls contralateral muscles
compare ipsilateral
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