multilateral
adjective
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
M. Gessen, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Addressing this constellation of armed groups through state-building and multilateral cooperation could go some way toward providing Venezuelans with stability in the post-Maduro era.
—Rebecca Hanson, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Similarly, greater cooperation between multilateral institutions and individual countries is sorely needed.
—Galip Dalay, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Colombia's Foreign Ministry, Petro said, will keep diplomatic channels open and push for objective verification of events through multilateral and regional forums, reiterating that peace, international law and the protection of human life must prevail over armed confrontation.
—Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for multilateral
Cite this Entry
“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
multilateral
adjective
