multilateral
adj.involving more than two groups or countries. You use this to describe agreements or talks where many different sides work together.
adj.involving or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of different countries. Often used to describe diplomatic negotiations or trade agreements.
“The countries signed a multilateral trade agreement.”
“The climate summit is a multilateral effort to reduce global carbon emissions through shared goals.”
“Diplomats argued that a multilateral approach was the only viable path toward regional stability, as bilateral agreements often ignored the security concerns of neighboring states.”
Typically used attributively before a noun; often contrasted with 'bilateral' or 'unilateral'.
“This is demonstrated in Malaysia’s continued commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a multilateral security framework that also includes Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.”
“She also called on multilateral development banks to use guarantees, concessional financing and other instruments to attract more private investment, particularly for small farmers and local businesses.”
From multi- + lateral.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.