multilateral

adjective

mul·​ti·​lat·​er·​al ˌməl-tē-ˈla-t(ə-)rəl How to pronounce multilateral (audio)
-ˌtī-
1
: having many sides
2
: involving or participated in by more than two nations or parties
multilateral agreements
multilateralism noun
multilateralist noun
multilaterally adverb

Did you know?

Since lateral means "side", multilateral means basically "many-sided". The philosophy of multilateralism claims that the best solutions generally result when as many of the world's nations as possible are involved in discussions, and multilateralists often favor strengthening the United Nations. Today multilateralism can be seen at work in, for example, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the International Criminal Court. But the U.S. doesn't always join the major multilateral organizations, instead often behaving as if a unilateral approach—that is, going it alone—was best for the interests of a powerful nation.

Examples of multilateral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is no multilateral coordination or standardization on public CbC reporting, and this could provide an opportunity to advance that objective. Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 Trump prefers bilateral trade deals over the multilateral deals that past administrations pursued, like the Trans Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that would have included 12 Asia-Pacific countries. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 7 July 2025 In addition to wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs against major trade partners around the world, undermining other multilateral talks. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025 After years of negotiations, Iran joined a multilateral agreement in 2015 designed to prevent it from securing nuclear weapons. Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for multilateral

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of multilateral was in 1606

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Cite this Entry

“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

multilateral

adjective
mul·​ti·​lat·​er·​al ˌməl-ti-ˈlat-ə-rəl How to pronounce multilateral (audio)
-ˌtī-,
-ˈla-trəl
1
: having many sides
2
: involving or taken part in by more than two nations or groups
a multilateral treaty
multilaterally
adverb

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