Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for multilateral. Search instead for multi lateral.

multilateral

American  
[muhl-ti-lat-er-uhl] / ˌmʌl tɪˈlæt ər əl /

adjective

  1. having several or many sides; many-sided.

  2. participated in by more than two nations, parties, etc.; multipartite.

    multilateral agreements on disarmament.


multilateral British  
/ ˌmʌltɪˈlætərəl, -ˈlætrəl /

adjective

  1. of or involving more than two nations or parties

    a multilateral pact

  2. having many sides

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of multilateral

First recorded in 1690–1700; multi- + lateral

Vocabulary lists containing multilateral

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.

See Examples For:

Instead he suggested like-minded nations should club together to create a new form of multilateral global governance in an increasingly turbulent world where – in the minds of some others - might is right.

From BBC Sep. 17, 2026

The World Bank and IMF have restored contacts with the Venezuelan government since that ouster, and the Fund has so far provided around $346 million from the country's reserves with the multilateral lender.

From Barron's Jul. 23, 2026

“Given there are two multilateral events coming in November and December, the Chinese are actually working to block the arms sales entirely this year,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 21, 2026

Other China-led multilateral lenders have been unwilling to offer such workarounds.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

I could escape the stage-managed multilateral meetings and sit-downs with leaders and find new ways to bring a little extra warmth to those otherwise staid visits.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training