bilateral
Involving both parties
Bilateral means having or involving two sides.
In anatomy, it describes structures that exist in pairs on opposite sides of the body, like bilateral hearing loss affecting both ears.
In diplomacy and law, bilateral refers to agreements or relationships between exactly two parties: a bilateral trade agreement between the US and Canada.
The term contrasts with unilateral (one-sided) and multilateral (involving multiple parties).
Binding pact between nations
- accordHarmony between parties
- pactFormal agreement between parties
- agreementShared position between parties
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
summit · convention · protocol · alliance · entente · talks · relations · dialogue
Shared between two parties
- two-wayOperating in both directions
- jointShared by multiple parties
- sharedHeld in common
- interdependentRelying on one another
cooperative · collaborative · exchange · give-and-take · complementary · correlative · symbiotic · corresponding
Invariance under transformation
- midlineCentral dividing axis
- lateralOf the side
- axisRotation reference line
- limbsBody's major appendages
paired · hemispheres · lungs · kidneys · eyes · ears · appendages · extremities
Equal on both sides
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- mirroredReflected or duplicated inversely
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
- alignedArranged in proper position
opposite · corresponding · matching · equal · proportional · complementary · reflected · congruent
Downward slope or lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- patrilinealTraced through fathers
- ancestryFamily line of descent
inheritance · consanguinity · genealogy · cognatic · kindred
treaty
Binding pact between nations
- accordHarmony between parties
- pactFormal agreement between parties
- agreementShared position between parties
negotiation · summit · convention · protocol · alliance · entente · talks · relations · dialogue · cooperation
reciprocal
Shared between two parties
interdependent · cooperative · collaborative · exchange · give-and-take · complementary · correlative · symbiotic · corresponding · interrelated
symmetry
Invariance under transformation
limbs · paired · hemispheres · lungs · kidneys · eyes · ears · appendages · extremities · organs
symmetric
Equal on both sides
- parallelEquidistant at all points
- mirroredReflected or duplicated inversely
- balancedIn a state of equilibrium
aligned · opposite · corresponding · matching · equal · proportional · complementary · reflected · congruent · dual
descent
Downward slope or lineage
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- matrilinealDescended through maternal line
- patrilinealTraced through fathers
ancestry · inheritance · consanguinity · genealogy · cognatic · kindred
- swimmingswimming, swimmer, swimmers, swim team, swim teams
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, vote, parliament
- politicsdemocracy, campaigning, campaigns, democrats, bill
- rehabilitationrehab, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, inpatient rehab
- tradetrade balance, free trade, trade barriers, customs, trade deficit
- bi- wordsbiannual, biathlon, bicameral, bicentennial, bicycle
bilateralunilateral
Affecting one side only
one-sided · multilateral · single-party · individual · trilateral
bilateralunilateral
Affecting one side only
asymmetrical · nonreciprocal · asymmetric · one-sided · lopsided
- bilateral symmetryEqual halves along midline
- bilateral talksDiplomacy between two parties
- bilateral agreementContract between two parties
- bilateral tiesTwo-nation formal connections
- bilateral meetingDiplomatic session between two parties
- bilateral treatyTwo-party international agreement