unilateral contract
- noun
- /ˌjunɪˈlætərəl ˈkɒntrækt/
- Formal
:
contrato unilateral
- A unilateral contract requires only one party to make a promise, while the other party accepts by completing a specific task.
Contracts that are formed from such offers are called unilateral contracts.
- Contracts that are formed from such offers are called unilateral contracts.
Examples
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In a unilateral contract, the offeror makes a promise that the offeree can accept by performing the requested act.
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Many people are unaware that a unilateral contract does not need both parties to sign; only one party needs to make a promise.
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How many of you have entered a unilateral contract where only you signed a document and believe it is actually required by law?
Blog text (26) -
Specifically, courts distinguish between bilateral and unilateral contracts.
Academic text (2001) -
That, however, is virtually impossible given our current model of e-commerce and the nature of unilateral contracts.
Blog text (20) -
On the other hand, a unilateral contract in which a developer makes a promise contingent on the municipality's act of rezoning is legal.
Academic text (2001) -
In short, contract zoning is illegal whenever it arises from a promise by a municipality to zone property in a certain manner, whether in a bilateral contract or a unilateral contract initiated by the municipality.
Academic text (2001)
Antonyms
- Specialized
An agreement between two people or groups where each promises something to the other
How One-Sided
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is directly compositional: 'unilateral' means one-sided and 'contract' means an agreement, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an agreement in which only one party makes a promise. It is a technical/legal term, but the core meaning is transparent and predictable from its constituents.
Etymology
Unilateral contract is like a public reward poster: someone promises to pay if anyone returns a lost dog, and the promise is only accepted when a person does the act. The word unilateral means 'one side' and the contract is the 'promise', so it means an agreement where only one party makes the promise and the other accepts by performing the act.