collateral meaning and definition

COLLATERAL noun

Definition of collateral (noun)

1. a security pledged for the repayment of a loan

COLLATERAL adjective

Definition of collateral (adjective)

1. descended from a common ancestor but through different lines
   • "cousins are collateral relatives"; "an indirect descendant of the Stuarts"
   • synonyms: indirect
   • antonym: direct
2. serving to support or corroborate
   • "collateral evidence"
   • synonyms: confirmative, confirmatory, confirming, corroborative, corroboratory, substantiating, substantiative, validating, validatory, verificatory, verifying
3. accompany, concomitant
   • "collateral target damage from a bombing run"
4. situated or running side by side
   • "collateral ridges of mountains"