Bilateral
Trade summits, joint statements sealed with cricket series, and matching halves of a face all run on this adjective: exactly two sides dealing.
Learn This WordMeaning
Involving two nations or parties.
Memory trick
BI (two) + LATERAL (sides): two sides, one deal.
Examples
Bilateral trade crossed new highs.
The bilateral talks ended with a joint statement and a cricket series.
Bilateral symmetry is why your face has two matching halves.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin bi- "two" + latus "side." Two sides of the same table, negotiating or trading.
Usage Notes
IR staple: bilateral ties, bilateral trade, bilateral talks. Two parties only; three or more turns it multilateral.
Real-life contexts
Use in IR: "Bilateral ties deepened after the summit."
Use in business: "We signed a bilateral supply pact."
Use in science: "The study found bilateral symmetry."
Common Mistakes
Bilateral needs exactly two sides; do not use it for group pacts. The stress sits on lat: bye-LAT-er-al.
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Part of Speech
adjective
Difficulty
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