multilateral
adjective
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Since lateral means "side", multilateral means basically "many-sided". The philosophy of multilateralism claims that the best solutions generally result when as many of the world's nations as possible are involved in discussions, and multilateralists often favor strengthening the United Nations. Today multilateralism can be seen at work in, for example, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the International Criminal Court. But the U.S. doesn't always join the major multilateral organizations, instead often behaving as if a unilateral approach—that is, going it alone—was best for the interests of a powerful nation.
Examples of multilateral in a Sentence
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
The Pandemic Fund is the first and only multilateral financing mechanism dedicated to strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
The program has made major advances since 2018, when the U.S. withdrew from its multilateral nuclear agreement with the regime, which now has enough near-weapons-grade uranium to produce several bombs, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
—Uri Friedman, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2024
In the case of Vice President Harris, a range of foreign policy experts use these words or phrases to describe her worldview: multilateral, cooperation, security through alliances, continuity, or Biden-lite.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
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multilateral
adjective
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