unidirectional

adjective

uni·​di·​rec·​tion·​al ˌyü-ni-də-ˈrek-sh(ə-)nəl 

-dī-

1

: involving, functioning, moving, or responsive in a single direction

a unidirectional microphone

2

: not subject to change or reversal of direction

unidirectionally adverb

Examples of unidirectional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than a unidirectional flow of medical technologies and services from developed to emerging markets, the modern health economy is defined by interconnectedness. —Aman Gupta, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025

The researchers who pioneered systems for enforcing unidirectional data movement, called information-flow tracking, were not interested in saving energy. —Adrian Sampson, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2013

This is done through the use of unidirectional brain-machine interfaces or bidirectional brain-machine interfaces (BBMIs). —Peter High, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Cross seas Our understanding of how waves break has primarily been models of unidirectional waves. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing unidirectional

• unidirectional current

Rhymes for unidirectional

• multidirectional
• omnidirectional
• affectional
• correctional
• directional
• inflectional
• bidirectional
• intersectional
• sectional

Medical Definition

unidirectional

adjective

uni·​di·​rec·​tion·​al ˌyü-ni-də-ˈrek-shnəl, -dī-, -shən-ᵊl 

: involving, functioning, moving, or responsive in a single direction

unidirectionally

-ē 

adverb