unilateral

A modern creation (circa 1802), from New Latin ūnilaterālis (“one-sided”), from Latin ūnus (“one”) + laterālis (“sided, lateral”), equivalent to uni- +‎ lateral.

• IPA^(key): /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/
  • (UK) IPA^(key): [ˌjʉː.nɪˈlæt.ə.ɹɫ̩], [ˌjʉː.nɪˈlæt͡ʃ.ɹɫ̩]
  • (US) IPA^(key): [ˌjʉː.nəˈɫæɾ.ɚ.ɻɫ̩]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætəɹəl

unilateral (comparative more unilateral, superlative most unilateral)

1. Done by one side only.
   • 2010, Roger D. Blair, Jeffrey L. Harrison, “The Antitrust Laws and Monopsonistic Forms of Conduct”, in Monopsony in Law and Economics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, section 2.4 (A Taxonomy of Monopsony Cases), page 29:

     For purposes of evaluating monopsony cases from the standpoint of economic efficiency, it makes sense to adopt a "purpose"-oriented classification system. After all, all monopsony cases can be reduced to either a unilateral or collusive use of buying power in order to promote the interests of the buyer.

2. Affecting only one side of the body.
3. Binding or affecting one party only.

• one-sided

• one-sidedly
• unilateralism
• unilaterally

From uni- +‎ lateral.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [u.ni.lə.təˈɾal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [u.ni.la.teˈɾal]
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧la‧te‧ral

unilateral m or f (masculine and feminine plural unilaterals)

1. unilateral

• unilateralitat
• unilateralment

• “unilateral”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “unilateral”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “unilateral” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “unilateral” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

• IPA^(key): /ˈunilad̥əˌʁɑˀl/

unilateral

1. unilateral

• “unilateral” in Den Danske Ordbog

From uni- +‎ lateral.

• IPA^(key): /u.ni.la.tɛˈɾal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧la‧te‧ral

unilateral m or f (plural unilaterais)

1. unilateral

   Antonym: bilateral

• unilateralmente

• “unilateral”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• “unilateral” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).

• IPA^(key): /ˌunilatəˈʁaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

unilateral (strong nominative masculine singular unilateraler, not comparable)

1. unilateral

• Unilateralismus

• bilateral
• multilateral

• “unilateral” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “unilateral” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Internationalism, lateral +‎ uni-, from New Latin ūnilaterālis (“one-sided”).

• IPA^(key): /u.ni.la.tə.ˈral/
• Rhymes: -ral
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧la‧tê‧ral

unilatêral (comparative lebih unilateral, superlative paling unilateral)

1. unilateral

   Synonym: sehala (Standard Malay)

• “unilateral” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

• ünilateral

• IPA^(key): /ynilateˈral/

unilateral

1. unilateral

From uni- +‎ lateral.

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: u‧ni‧la‧te‧ral

unilateral m or f (plural unilaterais)

1. unilateral (affecting only one side)
2. one-sided; partial (biased in favour of one faction)

   Synonym: parcial

3. (of a contract or interaction) unilateral (binding or affecting one party only)

• unilateralidade
• unilateralmente

• “unilateral” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Borrowed from French unilatéral. By surface analysis, uni- +‎ lateral.

• IPA^(key): /ˌu.ni.la.teˈral/

unilateral m or n (feminine singular unilaterală, masculine plural unilaterali, feminine and neuter plural unilaterale)

1. unilateral
2. Binding or affecting one party only.

• unilateralitate

From uni- +‎ lateral.

• IPA^(key): /unilateˈɾal/ [u.ni.la.t̪eˈɾal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: u‧ni‧la‧te‧ral

unilateral m or f (masculine and feminine plural unilaterales)

1. unilateral

• “unilateral”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

unilateral (not comparable)

1. unilateral

• unilateral in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)