What does unilateralism mean?
Unilateralism is the practice or policy of acting independently, without consulting or reaching agreement with other parties. The term is especially common in discussions of international relations, military action, diplomacy, and government policy, where it can describe a decision taken by one state without the approval or cooperation of others. It may be used neutrally to identify a political approach, but it often has a critical implication: the actor has chosen to proceed alone and may have disregarded consultation, negotiation, or shared decision-making. In contrast, bilateralism involves two parties and multilateralism involves several. Unilateralism is therefore useful when discussing both the structure of a decision and the broader preference for independent action. It can also refer more broadly to a tendency or doctrine favoring one-sided approaches, even when no particular action is being discussed.
nounUnilateralism is the policy or practice of taking action independently, without consultation, agreement, or coordination with other parties. It can also refer to a doctrine or tendency favoring such one-sided action.
- The policy or practice of acting independently without consultation, agreement, or coordination with other parties.
- A political doctrine or tendency favoring independent, one-sided action, especially in international affairs.
"The government was criticized for its policy of unilateralism in dealing with the crisis."
"Negotiators rejected the proposal because it depended too heavily on unilateralism."
"The speech defended a more pragmatic foreign policy and warned against the dangers of prolonged military unilateralism."
Rare; unilateralism is usually treated as an uncountable abstract noun, though the plural can distinguish different instances or forms of unilateral action.
"The authors compared the different unilateralisms pursued by successive administrations."
Unilateralism describes what happens when one side decides that going it alone is better than seeking consensus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unilateralism come from?
Unilateralism was formed in the 19th century from unilateral, meaning “one-sided,” together with the suffix -ism, which forms a noun denoting a doctrine or practice. Unilateral derives from Latin unus, “one,” and latus, “side,” with the prefix uni- meaning “single.” Its historical relatives include bilateral and multilateral, all built from the same Latin root for “side.”
Related word forms
How unilateralism is actually used
The word is formal and is especially common in political, diplomatic, legal, and military discussion. It often carries a critical connotation, suggesting that other parties have been ignored; in neutral academic contexts, it can simply describe a policy or doctrine.
Easily confused with unilateralism
Unilateralism is the policy or practice of acting independently, whereas unilateral means involving only one side or done by one party without agreement.