multilateral
adjective
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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
Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
However, nonprofit and multilateral leaders are working hard to secure the resources needed to address these barriers to poverty alleviation.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
However, that sovereignty does not extend to the occupied territories, where the multilateral force will operate.
—TIME, 6 Jan. 2024
America took Israel’s side in multilateral institutions such as the International Court of Justice.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024
Progress will require multilateral negotiations to reform the global financial architecture—during which developing countries will likely continue to work as a bloc—and increased attention to each country or region’s specific economic and political circumstances.
—Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
In January, several of these powers, including China, Iran, and Russia, even took part in a multilateral conference of their own hosted by the Taliban.
—Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024
The United States will need strong multilateral support for such an initiative—not only from countries in Southeast Asia but also from European countries, India, Japan, South Korea, and many others.
—Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024
Otto von Bismarck likewise spent the years from 1872 to 1890 promoting multilateral diplomatic systems for avoiding the ruinous rivalries that would reemerge in Europe after his fall from power.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 6 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'multilateral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near multilateral
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“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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multilateral
adjective
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