bilateral

adjective

bi·​lat·​er·​al (ˌ)bī-ˈla-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce bilateral (audio)
1
: affecting reciprocally two nations or parties
a bilateral treaty
a bilateral trade agreement
2
: having two sides
dealing with a bilateral problem
3
biology
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the right and left sides of the body or the right and left members of paired organs
bilateral nephrectomy
b
bilaterally adverb

Did you know?

Since the prefix bi- means "two" in Latin, bilateral means essentially "two-sided". In the days when there were two superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union regularly engaged in bilateral arms negotiations; such negotiations are much less common today. Sometimes bilateral refers to two sides of the same thing. A bilateral hip replacement, for instance, replaces both hip bones in the same operation. And bilateral symmetry (a term often used by biologists) refers to the fact that, in many organisms (such as humans), the left side is basically the mirror image of the right side.

Examples of bilateral 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.
Now, the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has maintained that the bilateral relationship should be based on cooperation and not subordination, is obliged to treat the issue of migration and drug trafficking with caution. Anna Lagos, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025 Saudi Arabia’s state media outlet, the Saudi Press Agency, on Thursday published details of a call between the Crown Prince and Trump, during which the Saudi de-facto leader congratulated his American counterpart on his inauguration and the two discussed bilateral relations. Natasha Turak, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025 China is willing to work with the new government of the United States to promote bilateral relations for greater progress from a new starting point, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025 His Middle East policy culminated in the 2020 Abraham Accords, a series of bilateral agreements in which several Arab countries normalized relations with Israel. Raja Khalidi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bilateral 

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bilateral was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near bilateral

Cite this Entry

“Bilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bilateral. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

bilateral

adjective
bi·​lat·​er·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈlat-ə-rəl How to pronounce bilateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
1
: having or involving two sides or parties
a bilateral treaty
2
: characterized by bilateral symmetry
bilaterally
adverb

Medical Definition

bilateral

adjective
bi·​lat·​er·​al (ˈ)bī-ˈlat-ə-rəl, -ˈla-trəl How to pronounce bilateral (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or affecting the right and left sides of the body or the right and left members of paired organs
bilateral nephrectomy
bilateral tumors of the adrenal glands
2
: having bilateral symmetry
bilateralism noun
bilaterality noun
plural bilateralities

Legal Definition

bilateral

adjective
bi·​lat·​er·​al ˌbī-ˈla-tə-rəl How to pronounce bilateral (audio)
: affecting, obligating, or shared by both parties
bilaterally
-rə-lē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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