bilateral

[ bahy-lat-er-uhl ]

/ baɪˈlæt ər əl /

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See 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.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of bilateral

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

OTHER WORDS FROM bilateral

bi·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. 2023

How to use bilateral in a sentence

In Brazil, the region’s largest economy, bilateral trade with China rose from $2 billion in 2000 to $100 billion last year.
The U.S. and China Are Battling for Influence in Latin America, and the Pandemic Has Raised the Stakes|Charlie Campell/Beijing|February 4, 2021|Time
After all, there’s a reason Obama reached out to Xi and sealed a bilateral deal that gave the Paris pact true heft.
Hey Joe: Welcome to the New World Order|Daniel Malloy|January 3, 2021|Ozy
Although Beijing initially downplayed the political motivations behind its moves, the government has since directly accused Canberra of “poisoning bilateral relations.”
China slaps 200% anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine as relations continue to sour|eamonbarrett|November 27, 2020|Fortune
Since then, NASA has announced that any countries wishing to partner on its forthcoming Artemis missions designed to establish a permanent human presence on the moon will have to sign bilateral agreements known as Artemis Accords.
Space Mining Should Be a Global Project—But It’s Not Starting Off That Way|Edd Gent|October 12, 2020|Singularity Hub

In February 2020, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy with breast reconstruction.
The Anatomy Of A Breast Cancer Survivor: ‘Early Detection Saved My Life’|Charli Penn|October 6, 2020|Essence.com
The pupils were inspected and seemed to be bilaterally dilated and fixed.
Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
The pelvic girdle consists of a single bilaterally symmetrical piece of cartilage.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
It supposes that bilaterally symmetrical, elongated, segmented animals were formed from the very first in two distinct ways.
The Origin of Vertebrates|Walter Holbrook Gaskell
This archetypal mollusc of Huxley's was a creature with a bilaterally symmetrical head and body.
Thomas Henry Huxley; A Sketch Of His Life And Work|P. Chalmers Mitchell
Take care in this final stretching of the rug skin to get it alike on both sides, or, as the artists say, bilaterally symmetrical.
Home Taxidermy for Pleasure and Profit|Albert B. Farnham

British Dictionary definitions for bilateral

bilateral

/ (baɪˈlætərəl) /

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 forms of bilateral

bilaterally, 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

bilateral

Origin of bilateral

OTHER WORDS FROM bilateral

Words related to bilateral

How to use bilateral in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bilateral

Derived forms of bilateral