Meaning & use
sinistral
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnicalspecialist
Relating to or situated on the left side; left-handed.
Grammar: Used mainly in scientific descriptions; not usually compared.
Patterns
- sinistral individual
- sinistral preference
The study found that sinistral individuals made up about ten percent of the population.
In some cultures, being sinistral was once considered unusual or even unlucky.
adjectivenot comparablebiologytechnical
Having a shell that coils to the left, as in certain snails.
Grammar: Used in biology for shell coiling direction.
Patterns
- sinistral shell
- sinistral coiling
The rare sinistral snail was prized by collectors for its unusual shell.
Most snail species are dextral, but this one is sinistral.
Common combinations
- sinistral dominance
- Sinistral dominance in the population was linked to a specific gene.
- sinistral coiling
- The fossil showed clear sinistral coiling.
- sinistral individual
- Each sinistral individual was measured and recorded.
Synonyms and how they differ
- left-handed
- This is the everyday term; sinistral is technical and used mainly in science.
- levorotatory
- Used in chemistry for rotation of polarized light; sinistral is broader, covering left-sidedness in biology.
Opposites
Word family
- sinistrality noun
- The state or quality of being left-handed or left-sided.
- sinister adjective
- In heraldry, means left; in general use, means suggesting evil.
Commonly confused: sinistral or sinister?
sinistral vs sinister
In everyday English, sinister means evil or threatening, not 'left-handed'. The two words share a root but differ in meaning.
Practice
In biology, a snail shell that coils to the left is described as:
Choose one answer.
Sinistral means coiling to the left, while dextral means coiling to the right. Sinister is a different word meaning evil, and ambidextrous refers to using both hands.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sinistral”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.