Since the prefix bi- means "two" in Latin, bilateral means essentially "two-sided". In the days when there were two superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union regularly engaged in bilateral arms negotiations; such negotiations are much less common today. Sometimes bilateral refers to two sides of the same thing. A bilateral hip replacement, for instance, replaces both hip bones in the same operation. And bilateral symmetry (a term often used by biologists) refers to the fact that, in many organisms (such as humans), the left side is basically the mirror image of the right side.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe State Department promotes its bilateral ties with the fifth-largest country in the world by population, noting that the U.S. is the largest export market for Pakistan – importing $5 billion in Pakistani goods last year alone. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 27 Aug. 2022 Rooted in Japan's brutal invasion of China during World War II, Chinese public sentiment against Japan has waxed and waned -- often tied to China's domestic politics and the state of bilateral ties. Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Aug. 2022 Both leaders visited Saudi Arabia last year as bilateral ties deepened, with Greece agreeing to lend Saudi Arabia a Patriot missile battery to protect vital infrastructure from missile and drone attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Stephen Kalin, WSJ, 26 July 2022 When Japan’s foreign minister was due to speak on Friday, Mr. Wang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walked out and held a bilateral meeting. Keith Zhai, WSJ, 7 Aug. 2022 Earlier this month, Zelenska also visited the White House to privately meet with Biden and participate in a bilateral meeting with American officials, including US President Joe Biden.CNN, 27 July 2022 Mexican officials denied the detention was linked to the bilateral meeting three days earlier. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 23 July 2022 Ukraine First Lady meets with Jill Biden: Jill Biden met with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska Tuesday ahead of a private meeting and a bilateral meeting with U.S. officials. Amy Nakamura, USA TODAY, 19 July 2022 The president is meeting with the Saudi king and crown prince as a part of a bilateral meeting, as well as with other heads of state during the Gulf Coast Cooperation or GCC+3 summit this week. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 15 July 2022 See More