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
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.
Mr. Bhalla points to a 2015 amendment to India’s model Bilateral Investment Treaty, which forced foreign investors to exhaust remedies in India’s notoriously slow courts for five years before seeking international arbitration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Bilateral deals would be much more complex to administer and comply with—and it gets into the integration of American supply chains.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
She lives with Bilateral TN, a very rare form of the disease where the flashes of pain can occur on both sides of the face, sometimes simultaneously.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
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 clearing units arise from bilateral trade and payments agreements with about thirty noncommunist trading partners.
From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.
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.
