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

And so background noise doesn’t distract your comrades, the headset uses a highly sensitive unidirectional microphone to silence noise from your rig and other background noise. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026

In the tropics, food webs are less unidirectional—vertebrates that normally eat invertebrates such as insects and arachnids can easily find the tables turned. — Jake Buehler, Scientific American, 21 May 2026

If frequency varies suddenly or power is lost, these unidirectional systems provide almost instantaneous, short-term backup power to the equipment inside the data center. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Apr. 2026

Birds evolved unidirectional airflow and air sacs for high-energy flight. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

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