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unilaterally

unilaterally

50 7.5
One person or group acts without others' agreement
  • adverb
  • /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəli/
translation icon : de manera unilateral
  • In the meantime, the Obama administration was prepared to act unilaterally against terrorist threats in Pakistan.
  • act unilaterally
  • decide unilaterally
  • withdraw unilaterally

And I'm, you know, unilaterally making all these decisions.

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Examples

  • The programming structure and proposed changes have been unilaterally made by the cable industry.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The company decided to implement the new policy unilaterally, without consulting the employees.

  • Right after we had spent a particularly difficult month together in London, I decided unilaterally to end it.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And I'm, you know, unilaterally making all these decisions.

  • Many felt the US should act unilaterally, ignoring the objections of its allies.

    Academic text (2013)
  • During the Cold War, U.S. officials always reserved the right to act unilaterally, even while they nurtured alliances.

    Academic text (2011)
  • By mid-1971, the pressure on the dollar became intolerable, and President Richard Nixon unilaterally abandoned the gold exchange standard.

    Academic text (1999)
  • His successor, Ehud Olmert, hoped to unilaterally withdraw from most of the West Bank as well.

    Academic text (2012)
  • He unilaterally changed the meeting date, not considering anyone else's schedule.

  • Many nations believed that acting unilaterally could lead to conflicts with international partners.

Synonyms

independently
vsunilaterally
121 2.9

Without help from other people

is decided by one party without agreement or participation from others
one-sidedly
vsunilaterally
6.4

Showing support for only one side

reflects a choice by one actor without others' agreement or participation

Antonyms

2 7.7

Several countries or groups make decisions together

1 6.1

In a way that involves two parties, usually two countries

How One-Sided

unilaterally
50 7.5
bilaterally
1 6.1
jointly
39 3.5

Surface Forms

unilaterally positive

Morphology

unilaterally = unilateral (transparent) = uni + lateral + ly

Formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'unilateral', so the meaning 'in a one-sided manner' is directly derived.

Etymology

Unilaterally starts with uni- meaning 'one' and has lateral meaning 'side', as in bilateral ('two-sided'). So, to act unilaterally is to make a decision or take action from one 'side' alone, without asking or including others.