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unilaterally

American  
[yoo-nuh-lat-er-uh-lee] / ˌyu nəˈlæt ər ə li /

adverb

  1. involving, done by, or decided by only one person, side, party, or faction.

    Instead of bargaining with teachers and public service workers, the governor and the legislature have unilaterally reduced pension and health benefits.

Etymology

Origin of unilaterally

unilateral ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A sixth and final draft, seen by AFP, greenlights member states -- either unilaterally or as "voluntary multinational naval partnerships" -- to use "all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

OpenAI unilaterally junked their three-month-old billion-dollar deal without warning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Tehran has previously stated it had unilaterally limited the range of its missiles to 2,000km.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

He unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and demanded the media go along with it.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Oliver had resolved that the ANC had to appear more independent, taking certain actions unilaterally without the involvement of the other members of the alliance, and I agreed.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.