multilateral

American  

[muhl-ti-lat-er-uhl] / ˌmʌl tɪˈlæt ər əl /

adjective

1. having several or many sides; many-sided.

2. participated in by more than two nations, parties, etc.; multipartite.

   multilateral agreements on disarmament.

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multilateral British  

/ ˌmʌltɪˈlætərəl, -ˈlætrəl /

adjective

1. of or involving more than two nations or parties

   a multilateral pact

2. having many sides

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Other Word Forms

• multilateralism noun
• multilateralist adjective
• multilaterally adverb

Etymology

Origin of multilateral

First recorded in 1690–1700; multi- + lateral

Example Sentences

“Iran is seeking to shift the venue, because it viewed the multilateral, open format in Türkiye as a high-risk, low-reward proposition,” said Oral Toga, a researcher at the Center for Iranian Studies in Turkey.

From The Wall Street Journal

First, past presidents viewed the international order—the multilateral institutions and web of security and economic alliances set up by Washington—as an asset worth defending.

From The Wall Street Journal

New Delhi’s anxiety about competing with China’s manufacturing juggernaut contributed to its turning away from multilateral trade pacts.

From The Wall Street Journal

It will apply to other governments, multilateral institutions, and U.S.-based organizations as well.

From Salon

"He can't replace multilateral institutions like the UN that have been around for 80 years."

From BBC