bilateral
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, involving, or affecting two or both sides, factions, parties, or the like.
a bilateral agreement; bilateral sponsorship.
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located on opposite sides of an axis; two-sided, especially when of equal size, value, etc.
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Biology. pertaining to the right and left sides of a structure, plane, etc.
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Chiefly Law. (of a contract) binding the parties to reciprocal obligations.
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through both parents equally.
bilateral affiliation.
noun
adjective
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having or involving two sides
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affecting or undertaken by two parties; mutual
a bilateral treaty
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denoting or relating to bilateral symmetry
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having identical sides or parts on each side of an axis; symmetrical
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sociol relating to descent through both maternal and paternal lineage Compare unilateral
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relating to an education that combines academic and technical courses
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a bilateral meeting
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bilateral
Explanation
When something is bilateral it has two sides or it affects both sides of something. Discussions between two political parties are called bilateral because both sides get to share their views. Bilateral comes from Latin: bi means "two" and lateralis means "belonging to the side." Debates about issues can be described as bilateral — as long as people on both sides get to speak. However, bilateral can describe anything with two sides, like some of the organs in the body: the brain, heart and lungs all have two distinct sides.
Vocabulary lists containing bilateral
It Takes Two: Bi
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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This Week In Words: August 8–14, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also has an effective veto over Bilateral Borrowing Agreements.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Bilateral tension has impacted Canadian travel patterns, with the national statistics agency in June reporting "a marked decrease" in the number of Canadians visiting the United States.
From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025
Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.
From Slate • Jul. 18, 2025
Bilateral relations between the US and Qatar are "strong", according to the State Department, which says Qatar has helped play a financial, political and military role in dealing with turmoil in the region.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025
Radiogram of Bilateral Congenital Club-foot in an Infant 275 144.
From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
