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unilateral

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u⋅ni⋅lat⋅er⋅al

  [yoo-nuh-lat-er-uhl]
Use unilateral in a Sentence
–adjective
1. relating to, occurring on, or involving one side only: unilateral development; a unilateral approach.
2. undertaken or done by or on behalf of one side, party, or faction only; not mutual: a unilateral decision; unilateral disarmament.
3. having only one side or surface; without a reverse side or inside, as a Möbius strip.
4. Law.
a. pertaining to a contract that can be formed only when the party to whom an offer is made renders the performance for which the offeror bargains.
b. pertaining to a contract in which obligation rests on only one party, as a binding promise to make a gift.
5. Botany. having all the parts disposed on one side of an axis, as an inflorescence.
6. through forebears of one sex only, as through either the mother's or father's line. Compare bilateral (def. 5).
7. Phonetics. (of an l-sound) characterized by passage of air on only one side of the tongue.
Origin:
1795–1805; < NL ūnilaterālis. See uni-, lateral

Related forms:
u⋅ni⋅lat⋅er⋅al⋅i⋅ty, noun
u⋅ni⋅lat⋅er⋅al⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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u·ni·lat·er·al   (yōō'nə-lāt'ər-əl)   
adj.  

  1. Of, on, relating to, involving, or affecting only one side: "a unilateral advantage in defense" (New Republic).

  2. Performed or undertaken by only one side: unilateral disarmament.

  3. Obligating only one of two or more parties, nations, or persons, as a contract or an agreement.

  4. Emphasizing or recognizing only one side of a subject.

  5. Having only one side.

  6. Tracing the lineage of one parent only: a unilateral genealogy.

  7. Botany Having leaves, flowers, or other parts on one side only.

u'ni·lat'er·al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

unilateral 
1802, from Mod.L. unilateralis, from unum, neut. of unus "one" (see one) + latus (gen. lateralis) "side" (see oblate (n.)). Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) may have been the first to use it in the legal sense of "made or entered into by one party." Unilateral disarmament is recorded from 1929. Unilateralism is recorded from 1926, and seems to have been used in the sense of "advocate of unilateral disarmament." Meaning "pursuit of a foreign policy without allies" is attested from 1964.
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion." [William Ralph Inge, "Outspoken Essays," 1919]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: uni·lat·er·al
Pronunciation: "yü-n&-'la-t&-r&l
Function: adjective
1 : done or undertaken by one party unilateral mistake as to the terms>
2 : of, relating to, or affecting one side of a subject
3 : containing a promise to perform made by only one party esp. because the other has already performed (as by paying an amount) unilateral> —uni·lat·er·al·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: uni·lat·er·al
Pronunciation: "yü-ni-'lat-&-r&l, -'la-tr&l
Function: adjective
: occurring on, performed on,or affecting one side of the body or one of its parts <unilateral exophthalmos> —uni·lat·er·al·ly /-E/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

unilateral u·ni·lat·er·al (y&oomacr;'nə-lāt'ər-əl)
adj.
On, having, or confined to only one side.

u'ni·lat'er·al·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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