bilateral
adj. C1 Advanced US //baɪˈɫætɝəɫ// UK //baɪlˈætəɹəl// bi·lat·er·al
adj. involving two groups of people or two countries. You use this to describe an agreement or a meeting where both sides work together directly.
adj. involving or affecting two sides, parties, or nations. Often describes formal agreements or negotiations conducted between two sovereign entities.
The two countries signed a bilateral trade agreement.
Diplomats are working on a bilateral treaty to reduce carbon emissions across their shared border.
While multilateral frameworks offer broad cooperation, many leaders prefer bilateral negotiations to address specific security concerns that only affect their immediate neighbor.
From bi- + lateral.
Usage
Typically precedes the noun it modifies; often used in political, legal, or medical contexts.