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
Anne Marie Drummond Lee, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
Even major multilateral global funders and institutions like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have short budget periods because they are set up to respond to crises.
—The Dial, 10 Apr. 2025
Iran is eager to avoid a further set of multilateral sanctions, on top of the ones that Washington imposed after Mr. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018.
—Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Similarly, Trump’s tariff policies have thrown multilateral trade norms into disarray.
—Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Multilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multilateral. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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multilateral
adjective
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