unilaterally

American  

[yoo-nuh-lat-er-uh-lee] / ˌju nəˈlæt ər ə li /

adverb

1. involving, done by, or decided by only one person, side, party, or faction.

   Instead of bargaining with teachers and public service workers, the governor and the legislature have unilaterally reduced pension and health benefits.

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Etymology

Origin of unilaterally

unilateral ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Doing something unilaterally means it's done without the agreement or participation of other people it might affect. A dad might decide unilaterally to take his family to Indiana for summer vacation, without asking them where they'd like to go. You're most likely to come across the word unilaterally in a news report, since it's often used to describe actions taken by governments. If one country unilaterally launches an attack on another, it means the country's government does not consult groups like the United Nations or other affected countries before making the decision to attack. The Latin root, unilateralis, combines the prefix uni, or "one," with latus, "side," to make a word that means "one-sided."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unilaterally

“Anthropic is unilaterally committing to this step now,” Amodei noted.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026

Silver had to follow guidelines spelled out in the NBA collective bargaining agreement and could not unilaterally decide whether the Clippers would be punished and how severely.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Hong Kong’s government said it vigorously enforces United Nations sanctions but not those imposed unilaterally by individual nations, which it says violate international law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Fifa has engaged in discussions about the potential sell-off unilaterally, generating anger among nations and regions who feel it was done behind their backs.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

During a state visit to Washington early in the new year, British prime minister Anthony Eden proposed that the United States and Great Britain unilaterally suspend testing.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik