bilateral

[bahy-lat-er-uh l]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bilateral ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining to, involving, or affecting two or both sides, factions, parties, or the like: a bilateral agreement; bilateral sponsorship.

located on opposite sides of an axis; two-sided, especially when of equal size, value, etc.

Biology. pertaining to the right and left sides of a structure, plane, etc.

Chiefly Law. (of a contract) binding the parties to reciprocal obligations.

through both parents equally: bilateral affiliation.Compare unilateral(def 7).

noun

Informal. a bilateral agreement, especially regarding international trade.

Origin of bilateral

First recorded in 1765–75; bi-¹ + lateral

Related formsbi·lat·er·al·ism, bi·lat·er·al·ness, nounbi·lat·er·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bilateral

mutual, reciprocal, respective, two-sided

Examples from the Web for bilateral

Contemporary Examples of bilateral

Now the question in Colombia, is, will a bilateral ceasefire be announced in coming days?
Did The U.S.-Cuba Deal Help Drive A Rebel Ceasefire in Colombia?
Richard McColl
December 18, 2014
In the past, Santos has been stubbornly opposed to a bilateral ceasefire, but his position on the issue may be shifting.
Did The U.S.-Cuba Deal Help Drive A Rebel Ceasefire in Colombia?
Richard McColl
December 18, 2014
Al-Huthaili is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and the two countries are not bound by a bilateral extradition treaty.
Saudi Beauty Says She Robbed Banks for Her Mafia Lover
Caitlin Dickson
May 10, 2014
Kirby said this would include "exercises, bilateral meetings, port visits and planning conferences."
Pentagon Freezing Its Relationship With Russian Military
Eli Lake
March 4, 2014
“This is a bilateral issue,” he said Wednesday through his spokesman, Martin Nesirsky.
Italian Pirate-Fighting Marines On Trial
Barbie Latza Nadeau
February 14, 2014

Historical Examples of bilateral

This is, in substance, an evasion of the bilateral provision in the constitution.
Memoir of the Life of John Quincy Adams.
Josiah Quincy
The first three have bilateral, the last has radial symmetry.
Form and Function
E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell
Are not almost all brains a little wanting in bilateral symmetry?
Over the Teacups
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
In rare instances the eruption has been observed to be bilateral.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin
Henry Weightman Stelwagon
This is a bilateral contract, and either may sue the other for a breach.
Commercial Law
Samuel Williston, Richard D. Currier, and Richard W. Hill

British Dictionary definitions for bilateral

bilateral

adjective

having or involving two sides

affecting or undertaken by two parties; mutuala bilateral treaty

denoting or relating to bilateral symmetry

having identical sides or parts on each side of an axis; symmetrical

sociol relating to descent through both maternal and paternal lineageCompare unilateral (def. 5)

British relating to an education that combines academic and technical courses

a bilateral meeting

Derived Formsbilaterally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bilateral

adj.

"having two sides," 1775, from bi- + lateral. Related: Bilaterally.

bilateral in Medicine

bilateral

[bī-lăt′ər-əl]

adj.

Having or formed of two sides; two-sided.

Having or marked by bilateral symmetry.