unilateral

[yoo-nuh-lat-er-uhl]

adjective

1. relating to, occurring on, or involving one side only.

   unilateral development; a unilateral approach.

2. undertaken or done by or on behalf of one side, party, or faction only; not mutual.

   a unilateral decision; unilateral disarmament.

3. having only one side or surface; without a reverse side or inside, as a Möbius strip.

4. Law.

   1. pertaining to a contract that can be formed only when the party to whom an offer is made renders the performance for which the offeror bargains.

   2. pertaining to a contract in which obligation rests on only one party, as a binding promise to make a gift.

5. Botany.,  having all the parts disposed on one side of an axis, as an inflorescence.

6. through forebears of one sex only, as through either the mother's or father's line.

7. Phonetics.,  (of an l -sound) characterized by passage of air on only one side of the tongue.

unilateral

/ ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl /

adjective

1. of, having, affecting, or occurring on only one side

2. involving or performed by only one party of several

   unilateral disarmament

3. law (of contracts, obligations, etc) made by, affecting, or binding one party only and not involving the other party in reciprocal obligations

4. botany having or designating parts situated or turned to one side of an axis

5. sociol relating to or tracing the line of descent through ancestors of one sex only Compare bilateral

6. phonetics denoting an (l) sound produced on one side of the tongue only

Other Word Forms

• unilaterality noun
• unilaterally adverb
• unilateralism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unilateral¹

From the New Latin word ūnilaterālis, dating back to 1795–1805. See uni-, lateral

Example Sentences

He claims he sought legal advice which informed him he was permitted to take the unilateral decision to sack the former chief content officer for gross misconduct.

From BBC

The result, he said, was that the UN didn't "have the strength to solve conflicts" and the five permanent members made "unilateral" decisions about going to war.

From BBC

But the Americans are strongly opposed, as the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made clear on Friday, emphasising his commitment "to fight anti-Israel actions including unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism".

From BBC

"Governments have not stepped up to the plate and sport is going to have to take some unilateral judgments and decisions here," added Coe.

From BBC

Asked whether smugglers coming from US allies, like Mexico and Ecuador, could face "unilateral execution" from US forces, Rubio said "co-operative governments" would help identify smugglers.

From BBC