multilateral
multilateral Lexical Profile
multilateral Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries.
"The summit aimed to establish a multilateral trade agreement among the participating nations."
Having many sides or facets.
"In geometry class, the students calculated the surface area of various multilateral figures."
Word Nuance & Usage
In diplomacy and economics, 'multilateral' involves three or more participating states or parties, contrasting with 'unilateral' (one party acting alone) and 'bilateral' (involving exactly two parties).
• Rhymes for multilateral
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 17th century from the Latin prefix 'multi-' (meaning 'many') and 'lateralis' (meaning 'of the side', from 'latus', 'side'), originally used in geometry before adopting its political sense in the mid-19th century.