unanimous
Americanadjective
-
of one mind; in complete agreement; agreed.
-
characterized by or showing complete agreement.
a unanimous vote.
adjective
-
in complete or absolute agreement
-
characterized by complete agreement
a unanimous decision
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unanimous
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ūnanim(us), equivalent to ūn(us) “one” + animus “mind, heart, feeling” + -ous
Explanation
When a group or a decision is unanimous, it means that everyone is in total agreement. Just imagine if you let third graders vote on what to serve at lunch: Pizza and candy would be the unanimous choice! The adjective unanimous comes from the similar Latin word unanimus, which means “of one mind.” So when people think unanimously, they all have the same idea in their heads. A vote is unanimous when all voters are in agreement. Said Marcus Cicero, “Great is the power, great is the authority of a senate that is unanimous in its opinions.”
Vocabulary lists containing unanimous
List 1
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Speak Your Mind: Anim
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chandrasekaran had earlier hoped for a unanimous reappointment, but agreed to stay on despite the split vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
“It was unanimous, and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Clancy trial was declared a mistrial earlier this month after the jury said it could not reach a unanimous verdict.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
After five rounds, the judges awarded the fight to the Van by unanimous decision, with scores of 49-46, 49-47 and 50-45.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
By unanimous vote, my brothers and I retired the Fentress Firefly Prize at bedtime, declaring the season of 1899 officially over.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
