unidirectional

uni·di·rec·tion·al
U1N1I1D2I1R1E1C3T1I1O1N1A1L1
UK/ˌjuː.nɪ.dɪˈɹɛk.ʃə.nəlUK-daɪ-UK-ˈɹɛkʃ.nəl/UK[ˌjuː.nɨ.dɨˈɹɛk.ʃə.nl̩

adjective

Pertaining to only one direction, e.g.: where all component parts are aligned in the same direction in space.

Less commonScrabble 17

Meanings

adjectiveunidirectional (not comparable)
  1. not comparablePertaining to only one direction, e.g.: where all component parts are aligned in the same direction in space.

    [...] a reversible booster was fitted to the trailing bogie; all previous applications on the L.N.E.R. for use in main line traffic had been of unidirectional boosters, […]

    1941 November, O. S. Nock, “The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley: Part VI—Experiments and Rebuilds 1927-33”, in Railway Magazine, page 483
    1 more example

    Equally important is the class mailing list, which facilitates two-way communication at a distance. (By contrast, the web page is basically a unidirectional teacher-to-student communication.)

    2005, Richard Samson, edited by Martha Tennent, Training for the New Millennium: Pedagogies for translation and interpreting, Benjamins Translation Library, page 119

    Synonyms: simplex

  2. not comparableNot subject to change or reversal of direction.
noununidirectional (plural unidirectionals)

plural unidirectionals

  1. A fabric in which the majority of fibers run in the same single direction.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivePertaining to only one direction, e.g.: where all component parts are aligned in the same direction in space.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveoperating or moving or allowing movement in one direction only

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ís?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
  3. Proto-Italic*oinos
  4. Old Latinoinos
  5. Latinūnus
  6. Latinūni-
  7. Englishuni-
  8. Englishdirection
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  11. Englishdirectional
  12. Englishunidirectional

From uni- + directional.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian еднопосочен
  • еднопосочен (ednoposočen)pertaining to only one direction
Catalan unidireccional
  • unidireccionalpertaining to only one direction
Dutch unidirectioneel, eenrichtings-
  • unidirectioneelpertaining to only one direction
  • eenrichtings-pertaining to only one direction
Finnish yksisuuntainen, tasasuuntainen
  • yksisuuntainenpertaining to only one direction
  • tasasuuntainenpertaining to only one direction
French unidirectionnel
  • unidirectionnelpertaining to only one direction
German unidirektional
  • unidirektionalpertaining to only one direction
Greek ομοιοκατευθυνόμενος
  • ομοιοκατευθυνόμενος (omoiokatefthynómenos)pertaining to only one direction
Hindi एकदिश, एकदिशीय
  • एकदिश (ekdiś)pertaining to only one direction
  • एकदिशीय (ekdiśīya)pertaining to only one direction
Hungarian egyirányú
  • egyirányúpertaining to only one direction
Irish aontreoch
  • aontreochpertaining to only one direction
Polish jednokierunkowy
  • jednokierunkowypertaining to only one direction
Russian однонапра́вленный
  • однонапра́вленный (odnonaprávlennyj)pertaining to only one direction
Swedish enkelriktad
  • enkelriktadpertaining to only one direction
Ukrainian односпрямо́ваний
  • односпрямо́ваний (odnosprjamóvanyj)pertaining to only one direction
Cite this entry
APA

unidirectional. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unidirectional

MLA

“unidirectional.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unidirectional. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unidirectional,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unidirectional.

Source: unidirectional on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.