unification

American  

[yoo-nuh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌju nə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the process of unifying or uniting; union.

   the unification of the 13 original colonies.

   Synonyms:

   coalition, merger, consolidation

2. the state or condition of being unified.

   The unification of the manufacturing and distribution functions under one executive has advantages.

   Synonyms:

   coalition, merger, consolidation

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unification British  

/ ˌjuːnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. an act, instance, or process of uniting

2. the state of being united

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Other Word Forms

• nonunification
  noun
• reunification
  noun
• preunification
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of unification

First recorded in 1850–55; uni(fy) + -fication

Explanation

Unification describes the bringing together of two or more things so they become a single unit. If your marriage turns your feuding families into one big happy group, you pulled off a unification that would make Romeo and Juliet jealous. Unification comes from the word unify, which traces back to the Middle French word unifier, meaning "to make into one." Unification often happens in the corporate world, and you might have heard the term merger used to describe this process. If two or more companies decide to become a single company in order to benefit their business, they must first go through a legal process to complete the unification.

Related Words

• consolidation
• merger