ventrolateral

adjective

ven·​tro·​lat·​er·​al ˌven-ˌtrō-ˈla-tə-rəl How to pronounce ventrolateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
: ventral and lateral

Examples of ventrolateral 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.
In most bony fish, or teleosts, motor neurons for fins are found on the sides (ventrolateral zone) of the underside (ventral horn) of the spinal cord. — Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 30 Dec. 2024 But an entirely different region, called the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, became active. — Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2019 In studies of semantic cognition, this is where the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) comes in. — Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025 Interestingly, however, those neurons are completely separate from the ones which issue commands to the fish’s other three dorsal fins, located in the lower side of its ventral horn, called the ventrolateral zone. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024 The second area—cumbersomely dubbed the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus, or VMHvl—is associated with aggression. — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

ventro- + lateral entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ventrolateral was circa 1836

Rhymes for ventrolateral

See All Rhymes for ventrolateral

Browse Nearby Words

ventripyramid
ventrolateral
ventromedial
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ventrolateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ventrolateral. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

ventrolateral

adjective
ven·​tro·​lat·​er·​al ˌven-ˌtrō-ˈlat-ə-rəl, -ˈla-trəl How to pronounce ventrolateral (audio)
: ventral and lateral
ventrolaterally
-ē How to pronounce ventrolateral (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All