Collateralness

/kəˈlætərəlnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being collateral; the condition of being secondary, indirect, or serving as a backup security.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin 'collateralis' (side by side) with English suffix '-ness' (quality of). A rarely-used term that describes the abstract quality of having collateral status.

Kelly Says

This word is so specialized that most English speakers have never encountered it—it's the kind of term that might appear in a 200-year-old legal document but sounds almost invented.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.