trilateral

adjective

tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˌ)trī-ˈla-tə-rəl How to pronounce trilateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
: having three sides or parties
trilateral business ventures
trilateral discussions

Examples of trilateral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Under the trilateral pact, the U.S. and Britain will cooperate to provide Australia with a fleet of submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology to counter a more assertive China. Rod McGuirk, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2023 Lavrov said Moscow had been pursuing the trilateral dialogue, which would be frequent and unconditional, with both Beijing and Pyongyang, Russia state media reported. Timothy W. Martin, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2023 This trilateral unity was exhibited publicly, in August, when Biden met with Yoon and Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, at Camp David. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023 Russia’s other strong card is that the only framework agreement still in place, even though most of its provisions lie in tatters, is the trilateral ceasefire deal brokered by Russia on November 9, 2020, and co-signed by Aliyev, Pashinyan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2023 In May, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan vowed to strengthen trilateral ties on security and counterterrorism at a meeting of the three country’s foreign ministers in Islamabad. Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 14 Sep. 2023 During his trip, Mr. Shoigu suggested joint military drills with North Korea and China to counter trilateral military cooperation in the region by the United States, South Korea and Japan, according to South Korean lawmakers who were briefed by the South’s National Intelligence Service on Monday. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 Kishida reciprocated with a visit to Seoul in May and expressed sympathy for the suffering of Korean forced laborers during Japan’s colonial rule, The effort to sustain the trilateral relationship won’t be without challenges. Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023 Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's president, from left, US President Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, at a news conference during a trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, US, on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. CBS News, 18 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trilateral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin trilaterus, from tri- + later-, latus side

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trilateral was in 1660

Dictionary Entries Near trilateral

Cite this Entry

“Trilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trilateral. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

trilateral

adjective
tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˈ)trī-ˈlat-ə-rəl How to pronounce trilateral (audio)
-ˈla-trəl
: having three sides

More from Merriam-Webster on trilateral

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