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''unilateral'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260829000755-00-⌔

unilateral - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Adjective

unilateral (comparative more unilateral, superlative most unilateral)

  • Done by one side only.
    • ✤ For purposes of evaluating monopsony cases from the standpoint of economic efficiency, it makes sense to adopt a “purpose”-oriented classification system. After all, all monopsony cases can be reduced to either a unilateral or collusive use of buying power in order to promote the interests of the buyer.1
  • (medicine, physiology) Affecting only one side of the body.
  • (business, finance, law) Binding or affecting one party only.

Etymology

A modern creation (circa 1802), from New Latin ūnilaterālis (“one-sided”), from Latin ūnus (“one”) + laterālis (“sided, lateral”), equivalent to uni- +‎ lateral.

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/
    • (UK) IPA: [ˌjʉː.nɪˈlæt.ə.ɹɫ̩], [ˌjʉː.nɪˈlæt͡ʃ.ɹɫ̩]
    • (US) IPA: [ˌjʉː.nəˈɫæɾ.ɚ.ɻɫ̩]
  • Audio (US): 🔊
  • Rhymes: -ætəɹəl

Printed 2026-08-29.

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Footnotes

  1. 2010, Roger D. Blair, Jeffrey L. Harrison, “The Antitrust Laws and Monopsonistic Forms of Conduct”, in Monopsony in Law and Economics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, section 2.4 (A Taxonomy of Monopsony Cases), page 29: ↩