unilateraladj.
/ˌjuːnᵻˈlat(ə)rəl/, /ˌjuːnᵻˈlat(ə)rl̩/, U.S. /ˌjunəˈlædərəl/, /ˌjunəˈlætrəl/ I. Physical uses: relating to one side only.
1.
a. Botany. Of a raceme or panicle: having the flowers on one side of the peduncle. Also, of a cyme: Having a branch or axis on one side only.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > part of plant > reproductive part(s) > flower or part containing reproductive organs > inflorescence or collective flower > [adjective] > having particular shape, type, or arrangement > of or bearing cymes or racemes
racemiferous1656
racemose1698
biparous1731
racemous1757
racemed1787
unilateral1802
cymose1807
uniparous1839
indeterminate1842
indefinite1876
botrycymose1879
botryose1879
1802 R. Hall Elem. Bot. 156 One-sided, or Unilateral, unilateralis, applied to a raceme with all the flowers inserted on one side.
1853 G. Johnston Terra Lindisfarnensis I. 218 A coarse but productive species, distinguished readily by its unilateral panicle.
b. Botany and Zoology. Arranged or produced on one side of an axis or surface; directed or turned towards one side.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > part of plant > (defined by) distribution, arrangement, or position > [adjective] > one-sided, directed, or leaning to one side
declinated1758
secund1777
one-sided1793
declinate1810
unilateral1870
the world > life > biology > physical aspects or shapes > physical arrangement or condition > [adjective] > turned to one side
secund1777
unilateral1870
1870 J. D. Hooker Student's Flora Brit. Islands 275 Disk hypogynous unilateral.
1876 J. Van Duyn & E. C. Seguin tr. E. L. Wagner Man. Gen. Pathol. 118 The genital pores are unilateral.
1879 Hardwicke's Sci.-gossip XV. 203/2 Its flowers are unilateral, as those of the forget-me-not.
c. Of car-parking: restricted to one side of the street.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [adjective] > type of restricted parking
metered1892
unilateral1945
1945 Rep. Watch Comm. Oxf. City Council 7 June The Council desired to preserve the effect of the war-time Orders..relating to unilateral parking in King Edward Street.
1954 Highway Engin. Terms (B.S.I.) 57 Unilateral waiting (prohibition of), a system under which vehicles are prohibited from waiting on one side of a carriageway. The side may be fixed or alternated.
1959 Listener 14 May 841/2 Or, if it is unilateral parking, that you go to the side where parking is allowed.
2.
a. Of or pertaining to, occurring on or affecting, one side of an organ or part. unilateral horseshoe (see quot. 18431).
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > quality of having sides or being a side > [adjective] > of or relating to one side
unilateral1843
1843 W. Youatt Horse (new ed.) xxi. 424 (heading) The unilateral, or one side nailed shoe.
1843 W. Youatt Horse (new ed.) xxi. 424 The unilateral shoe has this great advantage.
1877 M. Foster Text Bk. Physiol. iii. vi. 456 The loss of voluntary movement which follows upon a unilateral section of the medulla.
1880 H. C. Bastian Brain iii. 57 The unilateral influence of Light.
b. Pathology and Medicine. Affecting or developed on only one side of the body at the same time.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [adjective] > unilateral
right-sided1855
unilateral1877
1877 L. A. Duhring Pract. Treat. Dis. Skin 225 Zoster is almost invariably unilateral.
1879 J. P. Smith Glaucoma 5 Hence the bilateral character of chronic glaucoma, and the unilateral acute attacks.
1893 A. S. Eccles Sciatica 7 In the more common form, viz., unilateral sciatica.
c. Phonetics. Uttered or produced with the glottis open on one side only.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > speech sound by manner > [adjective] > sonant > liquid > lateral
lateral1867
unilateral1867
lateralized1934
1867 A. M. Bell Visible Speech: Sci. Universal Alphabetics 59 Uni-lateral formations. When the breath issues by only one side aperture in forming any ‘divided’ consonant, the modifier [etc.].
1887 Ellis in Encycl. Brit. XXII. 387/1 Voiced form or buzz of unilateral Welsh ll.
3. Mathematics. (See 18842.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > algebra > [adjective] > relating to expressions > relating to equations
algebraic1657
lateral1670
explicable1706
unreduced1762
homogeneous1815
resolvent1860
Pellian1862
equational1864
canonizant1879
variational1879
unilateral1884
non-dimensional1904
open1937
inhomogeneous1943
stiff1952
1884 J. J. Sylvester Coll. Math. Papers (1912) IV. 152 A unilateral simple equation.
1884 J. J. Sylvester Coll. Math. Papers (1912) IV. 225 The Quadratic Equation of a form which I call unilateral, because the quaternion coefficients in it are supposed all to lie on the same side of the unknown quantity.
II. Undertaken by one party only, and related uses.
4.
a. Performed or undertaken by or on the part of one side; made, enjoyed, shared in, felt, etc., by only one person or party.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > one > condition of being alone > [adjective] > acting alone > done by person alone
mere1444
single-handed1709
unilateral1802
one-man1842
solo1909
1802 W. Windham Let. in Windham Papers II. 200 This communication..is in this way..unilateral, in which I may speak to you, without hearing anything in return.
1836 W. B. D. D. Turnbull Stubbes' Anat. Abuses Pref. p. x That the Editor may not be accused of an unilateral predilection for his protegé.
1885 Times 6 May 9 It is time to make him understand..that our relations with him cannot continue to be of this unilateral character.
b. Law. Made or entered upon by one party, esp. without reciprocal obligation on the part of another or others; binding or imposed upon one party only.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal document > types of legal or official document > [adjective] > subscribed to by one or more than one (of deed)
unilateral1826
multilateral1827
1826 G. J. Bell Comm. Laws Scotl. I. 334 Uni~lateral obligations and bonds.
1827 J. Bentham Rationale Judicial Evid. II. iv. iv. 495 In the case of an unilateral deed, the scribe may be the party himself.
1832 J. Austin Province Jurispr. vi. 354 The promise..is, in the language of jurists, ‘a convention unilateral’.
1875 E. Poste tr. Gaius Institutionum Iuris Civilis (ed. 2) iii. 362 A unilateral Disposition is one made by a solitary principal disposer.
c. Of succession: of or from one side or parent.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > lineage or descent > [adjective] > one side
unilateral1881
1881 Times 17 Jan. 4 Men may contract for reciprocal rights of cross or unilateral succession.
d. unilateral disarmament, disarmament (in later use often spec. of nuclear weapons) by one state, irrespective of whether others take similar action. Also unilateral disarmer.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > peace > pacification > disarmament > [noun]
disarming1548
disarmy1548
disarmament1710
disarmature1852
unilateral disarmament1929
society > armed hostility > peace > pacification > disarmament > [noun] > advocate of
disarmer1898
unilateralist1927
multilateralist1947
unilateral disarmer1960
1929 Times 15 Nov. 14/3 Lord Salisbury agreed that unilateral disarmament had probably reached its limits.
1935 C. R. Attlee in Hansard Commons 22 May 375 I want to recall to the House what our position is as a party on the question of defence... We do not stand for unilateral disarmament.
1960 Guardian 21 Sept. 8/5 One can be a pacifist and a unilateral disarmer, prepared to accept the consequences for oneself and one's country.
1969 J. C. Plano & R. Olton Internat. Relations Dict. 237 By demonstrating peaceful intentions rather than merely talking about them, unilateral disarmament theorists believe, one side could put the arms-race cycle into reverse by evoking reciprocation of its disarmament initiatives.
1980 Observer 14 Sept. 11 To adopt the unilateral disarmament option would be akin to behaving like a virgin in a brothel.
1980 Times 17 Nov. 15/3 Mr Foot..is a unilateral disarmer.
1984 S. Townsend Growing Pains Adrian Mole 90 Went back to Pandora's and watched the Labour Party Conference vote for unilateral disarmament... If elected the Labour Party would chuck all their nuclear weapons away.
5.
a. Dealing or concerned with, relating to, only one side of a subject; one-sided.
ΚΠ
1830 Edinb. Rev. 51 531 The results of this uni-lateral..mode of proceeding.
a1856 W. Hamilton Lect. Metaphysics (1860) IV. xxx. 111 The unilateral and incompetent reasoning which I have here supposed in the case of time.
1873 J. Morley Rousseau II. 145 This is a unilateral view of the social contract, and omits the element of reciprocity.
b. Logic. (See quot. 1864.)
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > term of a proposition > [adjective] > affecting subject or predicate
unilateral1864
1864 F. C. Bowen Treat. Logic vi. 170 In some cases, the Restriction..and the Integration may be bilateral.., as affecting both Subject and Predicate;..or unilateral,..as affecting either the Subject only,..or the Predicate only.
Derivatives
unilateˈrality n. the quality or character of being unilateral.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > characteristics > [noun] > effect on one side of body only
unilaterality1844
laterality1938
the world > space > relative position > quality of having sides or being a side > [noun] > quality of having sides > specific number
unilaterality1844
bilateralism1849
two-sidedness1863
bilateralness1880
bilaterality1884
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > speech sound by manner > [noun] > sonant > liquid > lateral > quality
unilaterality1844
laterality1953
1844 Delane in Dasent Life & Corr. (1908) I. 46 Unilaterality (there's a long word for you) is an essential ingredient in a printer's happiness.
1887 Ellis in Encycl. Brit. XXII. 387/1 This unilaterality [of click] is insisted on by Salesbury.
1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 622 True zoster of the face characterized by unilaterality.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1802