bilateral
adjective
bi·lat·er·al
| \ (ˌ)bī-ˈla-t(ə-)rəl
\
\
Definition of bilateral
1
: affecting reciprocally two nations or parties
a bilateral treaty a bilateral trade agreement
2
: having two sides
dealing with a bilateral problem
3 biology
a
: of, relating to, or affecting the right and left sides of the body or the right and left members of paired organs
bilateral nephrectomy
b
: having bilateral symmetry
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Other Words from bilateral
bilateralism
\ (ˌ)bī-ˈla-t(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm
\
noun
\
noun
bilaterally
adverb
Examples of bilateral in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After acknowledging the historical realities, bilateral negotiations between the German and Namibian governments resumed at the end of 2015. — Quartz Africa, "Even after acknowledging the Namibia genocide of WWI, Germany still hasn’t learned the key lesson," 10 Aug. 2019 Nalley was having a bilateral transplant, which meant both lungs would be taken out. — Caitlin Dwyer, Longreads, "Shared Breath," 25 July 2019 The drills, called Vostok 2018, kicked off during a bilateral meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. — Nathan Hodge, CNN, "Putin and Xi test a budding military alliance in the Pacific -- and step up confrontation," 23 July 2019 Shortly after birth, Caruso was diagnosed with bilateral moderate to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss, a common type of permanent hearing loss that stems from damage to the inner ear. — Jason Duaine Hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Instagram Influencer, 19, Opens Up About Her Struggles with Hearing Loss: 'I Felt Isolated'," 19 July 2019 DiVincenzo had his rookie season cut short by bilateral heel bursitis and will not participate in any games in Las Vegas. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks summer league roster includes Sterling Brown, D.J. Wilson, but not Donte DiVincenzo," 1 July 2019 Former government officials said family members traditionally are not involved in bilateral meetings but often participate in cultural events. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump family members promote themselves, and businesses, on European trip," 7 June 2019 Even a bilateral meeting with the prime minister appears to have been cancelled. — Martin Farr, Quartz, "Donald Trump’s state visit is a sorry sign of the times for the UK," 4 June 2019 Trump has attacked several existing U.S. trade deals with other countries, including a bilateral pact with South Korea, as threats to America and U.S. jobs. — Christopher Rugaber, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump says US is ‘open for business,’ and economists mostly agree," 27 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bilateral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for bilateral
bilateral
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of bilateral
: involving two groups or countries
See the full definition for bilateral in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bilateral
adjective
bi·lat·er·al
| \ (ˈ)bī-ˈlat-ə-rəl, -ˈla-trəl
\
\
Medical Definition of bilateral
1
: of, relating to, or affecting the right and left sides of the body or the right and left members of paired organs
bilateral nephrectomy bilateral tumors of the adrenal glands
2
: having bilateral symmetry
Other Words from bilateral
bilateralism
\ -ˌiz-əm
\
noun
\
noun
bilaterality
\ (ˈ)bī-ˌlat-ə-ˈral-ət-ē, -ˌla-ˈtral-
\
noun,
plural bilateralities
\
noun,
plural bilateralities
bilaterally
\ (ˈ)bī-ˈlat-ə-rə-lē, -ˈla-trə-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
bilateral
adjective
bi·lat·er·al
| \ ˌbī-ˈla-tə-rəl
\
\
Legal Definition of bilateral
: affecting, obligating, or shared by both parties
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