adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ætəɹəl
CMU ARPABET:M AH2 L T IH0 L AE1 T ER0 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:M AH2 L T IY0 L AE1 T ER0 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having many physical sides.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Having many sides or points of view.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Involving three or more parties or nations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: government, politics
Examples
a multilateral negotiation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A group with representatives from three or more parties or nations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
having many parts or sides
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: many-sided
Antonyms: unilateral
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multus Latin multīder. Middle English multi- English multi- English lateral English multilateral From multi- + lateral.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
çoxtərəfli
— having many sides or points of view
Belarusian:
многабо́чны
(mnohabóčny)
— having many sides or points of view
Belarusian:
многабако́вы
(mnohabakóvy)
— having many sides or points of view
Belarusian:
шматбако́вы
(šmatbakóvy)
— having many sides or points of view
Belarusian:
многастаро́нні
(mnohastarónni)
— having many sides or points of view
Bulgarian:
многостра́нен
(mnogostránen)
— having many sides or points of view
Chinese Mandarin:
多邊 /多边
(duōbiān)
— having many sides or points of view
Czech:
mnohostranný
— having many sides or points of view
Dutch:
multilateraal
— having many sides or points of view
Finnish:
monitahoinen
— having many sides or points of view
French:
multilatéral
— having many sides or points of view
Georgian:
მრავალმხრივი
(mravalmxrivi)
— having many sides or points of view
German:
multilateral
— having many sides or points of view
German:
vielseitig
— having many sides or points of view
Greek:
πολύπλευρος
(polýplevros)
— having many sides or points of view
Icelandic:
marghliða
— having many sides or points of view
Kazakh:
көпжақты
(köpjaqty)
— having many sides or points of view
Latin:
multilaterālis
— having many sides or points of view
Macedonian:
повеќестран
(poveḱestran)
— having many sides or points of view
Manx:
yl-heuagh
— having many sides or points of view
Polish:
wielostronny
— having many sides or points of view
Polish:
wieloboczny
— having many sides or points of view
Portuguese:
multilateral
— having many sides or points of view
Russian:
многосторо́нний
(mnogostorónnij)
— having many sides or points of view
Ukrainian:
багатобі́чний
(bahatobíčnyj)
— having many sides or points of view
Ukrainian:
багатосторо́нній
(bahatostorónnij)
— having many sides or points of view
Ukrainian:
многобі́чний
(mnohobíčnyj)
— having many sides or points of view
Azerbaijani:
çoxtərəfli
— involving three or more parties
Czech:
multilaterální
— involving three or more parties
Czech:
vícestranný
— involving three or more parties
Dutch:
multilateraal
— involving three or more parties
Finnish:
monenkeskinen
— involving three or more parties
Georgian:
მრავალმხრივი
(mravalmxrivi)
— involving three or more parties
German:
multilateral
— involving three or more parties
Greek:
πολυμερής
(polymerís)
— involving three or more parties
Icelandic:
marghliða
— involving three or more parties
Latin:
multilaterālis
— involving three or more parties
Macedonian:
повеќестран
(poveḱestran)
— involving three or more parties
Macedonian:
мултилатерален
(multilateralen)
— involving three or more parties
Portuguese:
multilateral
— involving three or more parties
Ukrainian:
багатосторо́нній
(bahatostorónnij)
— involving three or more parties