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.
The French aircraft carrier then transited northward and reached the waters south and east of the Philippines—the Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea—for a large-scale trilateral exercise with aircraft carriers sent by the United States and Japan from February 7 to 18. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025 Mandelson championed the trilateral alliance shared by the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, established with the intent of countering China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 29 Jan. 2025 One striking insight emerged from these talks: the main reason for Beijing’s seeming unwillingness to build a trilateral coalition with Russia and North Korea is that such an arrangement would call for strategic leadership by China, and Beijing is decidedly uninterested in such a prospect. Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2025 The Australian and the Japanese air forces will also join the trilateral exercise at Andersen Air Force Base. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 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 9 Mar. 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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