bilateral
Americanadjective
-
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.
noun
adjective
-
having or involving two sides
-
affecting or undertaken by two parties; mutual
a 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 lineage Compare unilateral
-
relating to an education that combines academic and technical courses
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Words: August 8–14, 2020
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Canada and the US have the world's largest bilateral trading relationship valued at nearly $900bn in 2025.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The bilateral agreements signed in Washington last August, “including the MOU on semiconductors and artificial intelligence, represent important peace dividends offered to Armenia,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The U.S. ended up striking bilateral economic cooperation deals with both Armenia and Azerbaijan as a way of offering “sweeteners” to the peace negotiations, said Kvien, the former ambassador.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
In bilateral talks on Thursday, Burnham and Macron are discussing not just small boats but also the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as defence and EU co-operation.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
All of our previous bilateral discussions had been laying the groundwork for these talks, which took place at the World Trade Centre, a modem exhibition center near Jan Smuts Airport in Johannesburg.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
