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Medial

Medial is an adjective derived from the Latin medialis, meaning "of the middle." In general use, it indicates a position toward the midline of the body or toward a central structure. The term is common in medicine, anatomy, and related fields, where precise orientation is essential.

In human anatomy, medial describes a location closer to the body's midline (the sagittal plane) than another

In linguistics, medial refers to a position inside a word, between the initial and final segments. A

In geometry and related disciplines, "medial" describes constructs that involve midpoints. For example, the medial line

Overall, medial functions as a versatile descriptor across disciplines, signaling proximity to the center or midline

structure.
It
is
used
to
distinguish
regions
such
as
the
medial
malleolus
or
the
medial
collateral
ligament.
The
opposite
term
is
lateral,
indicating
a
position
farther
from
the
midline.
Medial
movement,
such
as
medial
rotation,
turns
a
limb
toward
the
midline
of
the
body.
medial
consonant
or
vowel
is
located
in
the
middle
of
a
syllable
or
word,
as
opposed
to
an
initial
(onset)
or
final
(coda)
position.
The
term
helps
describe
phonological
structure
and
word
formation
across
languages.
of
a
triangle
connects
the
midpoints
of
two
sides.
The
medial
axis
is
the
locus
of
points
equidistant
from
the
boundaries
of
a
shape.
These
uses
reflect
a
broader
notion
of
centrality
and
central
positioning.
within
a
given
system.