BILATERAL Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

bilateral

adjective

Definition of bilateral

as in cooperative

involving two groups or countries; having or affecting two sides bilateral trade agreements a bilateral treaty

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bilateral Without that infrastructure, the region risks defaulting to the bilateral agreements that stalled cross-border electronic signature recognition in Latin America for more than a decade. — Aaron Stanley, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 After working around the clock for the better part of a week toward an interim bilateral trade deal, trade officials from the United States and Canada may have reached a consensus that will stave off a fresh round of punishing tariffs. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026 However, in recent years bilateral ties have plunged, marred by frequent tit-for-tat trade tensions and growing geopolitical rivalries. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 Washington and Beijing also appear to be making no progress towards building a pillar of their trade truce, a bilateral board of investment, the head of a top US business group told the South China Morning Post. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bilateral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bilateral

Adjective

More on Kingdom Kitchen & Grocery At first, Lee imagined a cooperative grocery store that would bring organic, fresh food to underserved neighborhoods.

— April Quevedo, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The driver, identified as 49-year-old Tarequl Ambia of Manchester, stopped after the crash and was cooperative, according to police.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of cooperative

Adjective

Until there is a method to identify CTE in a living brain, the results of the collective efforts to make football safer won’t be known for another 15 to 20 years.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
Gal Gadot aside, the most prominent version of Wonder Woman etched in our collective cultural memory—the one from the classic comic strips and the TV series starring Lynda Carter—features her pointed tiara with a central red star.

— Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of collective

Adjective

There is a big opportunity to make communal listening spaces feel special again.

— Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 28 Aug. 2026
Psychologist Katie Witkiewitz observed in an APA Speaking of Psychology interview that people are increasingly choosing not to drink as a group, and that the communal nature of that choice carries real weight.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of communal

Adjective

That reciprocal impact, according to Canadian officials, will purposefully target key sectors and states — like Michigan — with particular economic and political importance in the United States.

— Grant Schwab, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Autistic people of all genders often struggle with nuances of social communication like decoding nonverbal cues, identifying shifts in tone or asking reciprocal questions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of reciprocal

Adjective

That gets you a bike room and shared roof-deck, and Vanderbilt Avenue is right down the block with its restaurant row and Open Street.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 24 Aug. 2026
Captured from the water, this image shows the ocean as a shared space, where humans and wildlife briefly move together within the same powerful coastal environment.

— Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of shared

Adjective

Meta is rolling out an obvious fix to make its AI glasses less creepy amid backlash over the glasses’ non-consensual recordings that have flooded the Internet.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
After receiving his Miranda warnings, the defendant allegedly admitted to consensual intercourse with the 17-year-old.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of consensual

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“Bilateral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bilateral. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bilateral

adjective

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