union

¹

[ yoon-yuhn ]

noun

1. the act of uniting two or more things.

   Antonyms: division, separation

2. the state of being united.

   Antonyms: division, separation

3. something formed by uniting two or more things; combination.
4. a number of persons, states, etc., joined or associated together for some common purpose:

   student union; credit union.

5. a group of states or nations united into one political body, as that of the American colonies at the time of the Revolution, that of England and Scotland in 1707, or that of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.
6. the Union. the United States:

   The Union defeated the Confederacy in 1865.

7. a device emblematic of union, used in a flag or ensign, sometimes occupying the upper corner next to the staff or occupying the entire field.
8. the act of uniting or an instance of being united in marriage or sexual intercourse:

   an ideal union; an illicit union.

   Synonyms: liaison, wedlock

9. an organization of workers; a labor union.
10. Mathematics.
    1. Also called join, logical sum, sum. the set consisting of elements each of which is in at least one of two or more given sets. : ∪
    2. the least upper bound of two elements in a lattice.
11. the process or result of merging or integration of disjoined, severed, or fractured elements, as the healing of a wound or broken bone, the growing together of the parts in a plant graft, the fusion of pieces in a welding process, or the like.
12. the junction or location at which the merging process has taken place.
13. any of various contrivances for connecting parts of machinery or the like.
14. Textiles.
    1. a fabric of two kinds of yarn.
    2. a yarn of two or more fibers.

Union

²

[ yoon-yuhn ]

noun

1. a township in NE New Jersey.
2. a city in NW South Carolina.

Union

¹

/ ˈjuːnjən /

noun

1. 1. the union of England and Wales from 1543
   2. the union of the English and Scottish crowns (1603–1707)
   3. the union of England and Scotland from 1707
   4. the political union of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1920)
   5. the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1920
2. 1. the United States of America
   2. the northern states of the US during the Civil War
   3. ( as modifier )

      Union supporters

3. See Union of South Africa
   short for the Union of South Africa

union

²

/ ˈjuːnjən /

noun

1. the condition of being united, the act of uniting, or a conjunction formed by such an act
2. an association, alliance, or confederation of individuals or groups for a common purpose, esp political
3. agreement or harmony
4. See trade union
   short for trade union
5. the act or state of marriage or sexual intercourse
6. a device on a flag representing union, such as another flag depicted in the top left corner
7. a device for coupling or linking parts, such as pipes
8. often capital
   1. an association of students at a university or college formed to look after the students' interests, provide facilities for recreation, etc
   2. the building or buildings housing the facilities of such an organization
9. Also calledjoin maths a set containing all members of two given sets. Symbol: ⋃, as in A⋃B
10. in 19th-century England
    1. a number of parishes united for the administration of poor relief
    2. a workhouse supported by such a combination
11. textiles a piece of cloth or fabric consisting of two different kinds of yarn
12. modifier of or related to a union, esp a trade union

union

/ yo̅o̅n′yən /

1. A set whose members belong to at least one of a group of two or more given sets. The union of the sets {1,2,3} and {3,4,5} is the set {1,2,3,4,5}, and the union of the sets {6,7} and {11,12,13} is the set {6,7,11,12,13}. The symbol for union is .
2. Compare intersection

Union

1. The United States; especially the northern states during the Civil War , which remained with the original United States government. ( Compare Confederacy .)

Other Words From

• inter·union noun adjective
• mis·union noun
• pre·union adjective
• pro·union adjective
• self-union noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of union¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin ūniōn-, stem of ūniō, from Latin ūn(us) “one” + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of union¹

C15: from Church Latin ūniō oneness, from Latin ūnus one

Synonym Study

Union, unity agree in referring to a oneness, either created by putting together, or by being undivided. A union is a state of being united, a combination, as the result of joining two or more things into one: to promote the union between two families; the Union of England and Scotland. Unity is the state or inherent quality of being one, single, individual, and indivisible (often as a consequence of union): to find unity in diversity; to give unity to a work of art. See alliance.

Example Sentences

In February, Slovakia will have a referendum on whether marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman.

From The Daily Beast

Unlike the Soviet Union at a certain period in history, the Russian economy does not hold a candle to that of the United States.

From The Daily Beast

In his State of the Union address 50 years ago, LBJ laid out his vision for the Great Society.

From The Daily Beast

Inquiries will be accepted only via Western Union telegram or rotary phone.

From The Daily Beast

His next book is Government against Itself: Public Union Power and Its Consequences (Oxford) due out in January 2015.

From The Daily Beast

The first commencement of Union College for conferring degrees in the arts and sciences.

From Project Gutenberg

When this became known to the few Union inhabitants of Fulton they implored Guitar not to do it.

From Project Gutenberg

After they had been married some months, my wife visited your wife, and the latter seemed to be greatly impressed with the union.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing, however, can save us but a union, which would turn our barren hills into fruitful valleys.

From Project Gutenberg

If ever the fusion of two human beings into one has been accomplished on this sphere it was surely in their union.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• association
• club
• federation
• guild
• labor union
• league
• local
• society
• trade union