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
Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
And yet, these alliances are by no means inevitable; the multilateral sinews that bind peoples and nations need to be cultivated when times are good and bad.
—Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Maintaining positive ties with South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung would continue the lattice-like foreign policy encouraged by Washington, one that favors multilateral cooperation among like-minded nations over bilateral dependence.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The goal is to build a domestic savings base strong enough to finance Congo’s development internally — rather than depending on multilateral lenders for every major project.
—Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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multilateral
adjective
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