unilateral

[ yoo-nuh-lat-er-uh l ]

/ ˌyu nəˈlæt ər əl /

adjective

relating to, occurring on, or involving one side only: unilateral development; a unilateral approach.

undertaken or done by or on behalf of one side, party, or faction only; not mutual: a unilateral decision; unilateral disarmament.

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

Law.

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

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

through forebears of one sex only, as through either the mother's or father's line.Compare bilateral(def 5).

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

Nearby words

Origin of unilateral

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

Related formsu·ni·lat·er·al·i·ty, nounu·ni·lat·er·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unilaterally

But that was so yesterday, much like his contention that he lacked the power to unilaterally confer amnesty.
With Immigration Move, Obama and the Welfare Party Strike Again|Lloyd Green|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And neither he, nor his secret police squad or some lawyer from Detroit, get to change that unilaterally on a whim.
Small Town Keeps Cops Secret From...ISIS|Cliff Schecter|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are, of course, limits to what Obama can do unilaterally.
Obama’s NSA Reforms Show He Alone Can’t Stop Big Brother|Julian Sanchez|January 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2012 for example, Gates warned publicly in a speech that it would be disastrous if Israel were to unilaterally strike Iran .
In Gates Book, Details of Israel’s Hard Bargaining Over Saudi Arms|Eli Lake|January 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Henry Ford, founder, chief executive officer, and dictator of the Ford Motor Company, unilaterally raised—doubled!
Henry Ford Understood That Raising Wages Would Bring Him More Profit|Daniel Gross|January 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such aid is not an act of war, even if a dictator should unilaterally proclaim it so to be.
State of the Union Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin D. Roosevelt
Valve turgid in the middle and at the apices which are unilaterally truncate.
The Diatomaceae of Philadelphia and Vicinity|Charles Sumner Boyer

British Dictionary definitions for unilaterally

unilateral

/ (ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl) /

adjective

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

involving or performed by only one party of severalunilateral disarmament

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

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

sociol relating to or tracing the line of descent through ancestors of one sex onlyCompare bilateral (def. 5)

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

Derived Formsunilateralism or unilaterality, noununilaterally, 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

Word Origin and History for unilaterally

unilateral

adj.

1802, from Modern Latin unilateralis, from unum, neuter of unus "one" (see one) + latus (genitive lateralis) "side" (see oblate (n.)). Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) may have been the first to use it in the legal sense of "made or entered into by one party." Unilateral disarmament is recorded from 1929.

It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion. [William Ralph Inge, "Outspoken Essays," 1919]

Medicine definitions for unilaterally

unilateral

[ yōō′nə-lăt′ər-əl ]

adj.

On, having, or confined to only one side.

Related formsu′ni•lat′er•al•ly adv.