trilateral

adjective

tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˌ)trī-ˈla-tə-rəl How to pronounce trilateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
: having three sides or parties
trilateral business ventures
trilateral discussions

Examples of trilateral 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.
Already on March 30 – after Trump had first raised tariffs on Beijing – China, Japan and South Korea hosted their first economic dialogue in five years and pledged to advance a trilateral free trade agreement. Linggong Kong, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025 That can be done in part by strengthening the security dimension of increasingly important groupings (the Quad or the trilateral relationship with Japan and Korea). Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 10 Apr. 2025 The American carrier strike group took part in a trilateral war game in the East China Sea with the Japanese and South Korean navies from last Monday to last Thursday. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025 Since 2019, for example, China, Iran, and Russia have occasionally conducted joint military exercises in a trilateral format, but these exercises had little strategic relevance. Christopher S. Chivvis, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trilateral

Word History

Etymology

Latin trilaterus, from tri- + later-, latus side

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trilateral was in 1660

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trilateral. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

trilateral

adjective
tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˈ)trī-ˈlat-ə-rəl How to pronounce trilateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
: having three sides
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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