multilateral

adjective

mul·​ti·​lat·​er·​al ˌməl-tē-ˈla-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce multilateral (audio)
-ˌtī-
1
: having many sides
2
: involving or participated in by more than two nations or parties
multilateral agreements
multilateralism noun
multilateralist noun
multilaterally adverb

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Japan, another key Asian ally of the U.S., has sent its self-defense forces to take part in the U.S.-led, multilateral maritime operations in the South China Sea. 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 See all Example Sentences for multilateral 

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of multilateral was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near multilateral

Cite this Entry

“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

multilateral

adjective
mul·​ti·​lat·​er·​al ˌməl-ti-ˈlat-ə-rəl How to pronounce multilateral (audio)
-ˌtī-,
-ˈla-trəl
1
: having many sides
2
: involving or taken part in by more than two nations or groups
a multilateral treaty
multilaterally
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on multilateral

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!