multilateral
adjective
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Since lateral means "side", multilateral means basically "many-sided". The philosophy of multilateralism claims that the best solutions generally result when as many of the world's nations as possible are involved in discussions, and multilateralists often favor strengthening the United Nations. Today multilateralism can be seen at work in, for example, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the International Criminal Court. But the U.S. doesn't always join the major multilateral organizations, instead often behaving as if a unilateral approach—that is, going it alone—was best for the interests of a powerful nation.
Examples of multilateral in a Sentence
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Gulf Arab countries also hosted multilateral meetings as part of the Oslo peace process that launched in 1993 between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
The dispute has paralyzed multilateral Arab collaboration.
—Khaled Hassan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
While Washington has withdrawn from several multilateral organizations, in recent years China has boosted its presence in these entities and worked to create other initiatives.
—Jan Camenzind Broomby, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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multilateral
adjective
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