trilateral

adjective

tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˌ)trī-ˈla-tə-rəl 

-ˈla-trəl

: having three sides or parties

trilateral business ventures

trilateral discussions

Examples of trilateral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

China said on Monday that no consensus had been reached with Japan and South Korea on the timing of a trilateral summit that had been expected early next year. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives at a trilateral meeting with France and Germany on the sidelines of the G20 summit. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 Nov. 2025

By mid-2025, the two countries had opened discussions on defense and free trade, and Bangladesh joined China and Pakistan for a trilateral summit in June after restoring diplomatic ties with the latter. —Muhib Rahman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has mulled the idea of forming a trilateral hydro-cooperation with China and Pakistan – two of India’s biggest rivals. —Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trilateral

• bilateral
• collateral
• anterolateral
• posterolateral
• basolateral
• contralateral
• dorsolateral
• equilateral
• ipsilateral
• multilateral
• quadrilateral
• unilateral

Kids Definition

trilateral

adjective

tri·​lat·​er·​al (ˈ)trī-ˈlat-ə-rəl 

-ˈla-trəl

: having three sides