bidirectional

[bahy-di-rek-shuh-nl, -dahy-]

adjective

1. capable of reacting or functioning in two, usually opposite, directions.

bidirectional

/ ˌbaɪdɪˈrɛkʃənəl /

adjective

1. computing (of a printhead) capable of printing from left to right and from right to left

Other Word Forms

• bidirectionality noun
• bidirectionally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of bidirectional¹

First recorded in 1940–45; bi- ¹ + directional

Example Sentences

In “Super Agers,” Topol writes at length about the bidirectional communication between gut hormones and the brain, and calls it critical to healthy immune function.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The company plans to eventually offer an on-demand ride-hailing service using purpose-built autonomous vehicles with no steering wheel and bidirectional capability.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A new paper led by a Concordia researcher examines how social isolation, loneliness and frailty affect one another and the bidirectional relationship they exert as an individual gets older.

Read more on Science Daily

“We have a bidirectional relationship between financial stress and mental health,” Abramson said.

Read more on Salon

"We think that myelin plasticity is bidirectional -- you can both increase myelination of a circuit and decrease myelination of a circuit."

Read more on Science Daily