unilateral

American  

[yoo-nuh-lat-er-uhl] / ˌyu nəˈlæt ər əl /

adjective

1. relating to, occurring on, or involving one side only.

   unilateral development; a unilateral approach.

2. undertaken or done by or on behalf of one side, party, or faction only; not mutual.

   a unilateral decision; unilateral disarmament.

3. having only one side or surface; without a reverse side or inside, as a Möbius strip.

4. Law.

   1. pertaining to a contract that can be formed only when the party to whom an offer is made renders the performance for which the offeror bargains.

   2. pertaining to a contract in which obligation rests on only one party, as a binding promise to make a gift.

5. Botany. having all the parts disposed on one side of an axis, as an inflorescence.

6. through forebears of one sex only, as through either the mother's or father's line.

7. Phonetics. (of an l -sound) characterized by passage of air on only one side of the tongue.

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unilateral British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl /

adjective

1. of, having, affecting, or occurring on only one side

2. involving or performed by only one party of several

   unilateral disarmament

3. law (of contracts, obligations, etc) made by, affecting, or binding one party only and not involving the other party in reciprocal obligations

4. botany having or designating parts situated or turned to one side of an axis

5. sociol relating to or tracing the line of descent through ancestors of one sex only Compare bilateral

6. phonetics denoting an (l) sound produced on one side of the tongue only

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Other Word Forms

• unilateralism noun
• unilaterality noun
• unilaterally adverb

Etymology

Origin of unilateral

From the New Latin word ūnilaterālis, dating back to 1795–1805. See uni-, lateral

Example Sentences

“This bilateral exercise reaffirms the strong will between Japan and the U.S. not to tolerate unilateral changes to the status quo by force,” Japan’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

That she apparently made a unilateral decision to give up her child would lead to domestic complications.

From The Wall Street Journal

One suggestion is to drastically reduce the amount of TMO interference, empowering the on-field referee to make quick and unilateral decisions.

From BBC

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Monday announced a unilateral three-month ceasefire a day after the army dismissed a US truce proposal from international mediators.

From Barron's

Polls have generally shown that Mexicans oppose any unilateral U.S. intervention, but are open to Mexican cooperation with the United States in fighting organized crime.

From Los Angeles Times