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multilateral

mul-tee-LAT-er-ul /ˌmʌltiˈlætərəl/

adjectiveC1GREUPSCIELTS

formaldiplomatic

Agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries.

Implies a higher level of cooperation than 'bilateral' (two parties). It is the gold standard for global trade agreements.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'multus' (many) and 'latus' (side). It literally means 'many-sided'. It was first used in a political sense in the 19th century.

Word relationships

collective: Collective implies a group acting as one; multilateral implies separate parties acting together.

unilateral: Performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a situation.
bilateral: Involving only two parties.

Commonly confused with

international: International just means between nations; multilateral specifically means three or more nations working on a single agreement.

Collocations

multilateral agreement
multilateral trade
multilateral cooperation

Example sentences

"The World Trade Organization facilitates multilateral trade negotiations to reduce barriers globally." Trade agreements
"A multilateral approach to climate change is necessary because no single nation can solve the problem alone." Foreign policy

Memory hook

Multi (Many) + Lateral (Sides). A many-sided deal. Many-sided.

When not to use

Don't use it for a simple meeting between two people; that is bilateral.

Fun facts

The United Nations is the world's most famous multilateral organization.

Related words

globalization, interdependence

Explore more words

bilateral, Agreement, interdependent, alliance, multifaceted, ecumenical