unilateral
yoo-nih-LAT-er-ul
/ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/
Performed, undertaken, or decided by one party or nation without the agreement or consent of others.
Often carries a connotation of disregard for international consensus, acting swiftly and independently regardless of allies' views.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 'unus' (one) and 'latus' (side), 'unilateral' strictly means 'one-sided'. In statecraft, it entered common usage to describe bold or controversial military and diplomatic moves executed by a single nation without relying on international coalitions.
Word relationships
- one-sided: One-sided implies bias or lack of balance, while unilateral specifically means an action undertaken independently by a single entity.
- independent: Independent denotes self-reliance, whereas unilateral highlights acting without consulting partners or allies.
- multilateral: Multilateral involves cooperation among three or more parties.
- bilateral: Bilateral involves mutual action between two parties.
Commonly confused with
- multilateral: Unilateral means acting alone, while multilateral means acting jointly with multiple states.
Word family
- unilateralism (noun): A policy of taking unilateral action in international affairs.
- unilaterally (adverb): Done by one party without agreement from others.
Collocations
- unilateral decision
- unilateral disarmament
- unilateral sanctions
- unilateral action
Idioms & expressions
- go it alone
Example sentences
- "The government faced swift international criticism after issuing a unilateral trade tariff without consulting its partners." Foreign Policy
- "The decision to launch a unilateral strike alienated long-standing regional allies." Security Policy
Memory hook
UNI (one) + LATERAL (side) = acting from ONE side only. One side taking action.
When not to use
Do not use if two or more nations are acting in agreement or consensus.
Fun facts
- In legal contract law, a 'unilateral contract' is one where only one party makes a binding promise, such as offering a financial reward for returning a lost pet.
Related words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.