Bilaterally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that equally involves both sides or parties
2. Relating to a status or action that affects both lateral aspects without bias
3. In a manner that engages or pertains to both sides or parties simultaneously

Etymology: "Bilaterally" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "bilateral" (from "bi-", two, plus Latin "lateralis", relating to the side, from "latus", side) with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, traceable back through Old English "-līċe" and Proto-Germanic "*-līkô" to a root meaning "body" or "form," which is why "-ly" once carried the sense of "in the manner of" or "in the form of." The more surprising thread is the suffix's own journey. The Old English "-līċe" was a common adverb ending that attached freely to adjectives, and it survived into Middle English as "-ly" before becoming the productive suffix that now lets English speakers turn almost any adjective into an adverb. "Bilaterally" is a modern, technical-sounding formation that simply inherits this centuries-old machinery.

Synonyms: mutually, reciprocally