unify
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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unifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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unified,
past participle, past
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unifying
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unifiernoun
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reunifyverb (used with object)
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nonunifiedadjective
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quasi-unifiedadjective
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unifiableadjective
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ununifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unifysimple
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unifiessimple
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have unifiedperfect
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has unifiedperfect
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am unifyingprogressive
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are unifyingprogressive
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is unifyingprogressive
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have been unifyingperfect progressive
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has been unifyingperfect progressive
Past
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unifiedsimple
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had unifiedperfect
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was unifyingprogressive
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were unifyingprogressive
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had been unifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unify
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Late Latin ūnificāre, equivalent to Latin ūni- uni- + -ficāre -fy
Explanation
When you bring together unlike elements, you unify them. Political movements can unify people by inspiring them to work towards a shared goal. Likewise, a shared love of a team or band can unify people who otherwise don't have much in common. The verb unify comes from the Latin prefix uni-, “one,” and the root facere, “to make.” When you unify things, you make them one. Often squabbling people just need someone to point out their similarities in order to unify them. If your classmates are sabotaging each other to try to win the “best-decorated locker” award, you might be able to unify their efforts suggesting a “most awesome class” award instead.
Vocabulary lists containing unify
Power Prefix: uni-
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Vocabulary from Donald Trump's Victory Speech, November 9, 2016
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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.
See Examples For:
Sometimes the energy of all that “na-na-nah”-ing is infectious enough to unify rivals, if only for a few measures of music.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Masters backed the English Football Association's withdrawal of support for Infantino - and called for a new candidate for the presidency who could unify football.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The legislative bodies of both authorities last month signed a US-mediated agreement to unify public spending across the divided country for the first time in over a decade.
From Barron's ● May 17, 2026
For decades, physicists have been trying to unify quantum mechanics with gravity.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2026
Recently, successful attempts have been made to unify three of the four categories of force—and I shall describe these in this chapter.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
In a country known for its partisan divisions, no issue unifies Argentines across the political spectrum more than the Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the south Atlantic that Argentina has long claimed as its own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The move unifies a portfolio of more than 20 brands that has expanded as part of a continuing roll-up of smaller competitors.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
The global constraint principle provides a framework that unifies many aspects of biology.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2025
“What unifies them,” he adds, “is the sacrifice of the two brothers. Eight years in prison — the whole family’s traumatized.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
The main difficulty in finding a theory that unifies gravity with the other forces is that general relativity is a “classical” theory; that is, it does not incorporate the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
"Once upon a time, there was a unified audience which said the Tatas are good people with good governance. Today, the opinion is divided," said Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy consultant.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
"So, the United States is trying to mediate with the sides with the goal of creating a unified proposal."
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The observations provide the first direct evidence that quark-gluon plasma responds to fast-moving particles as a unified fluid, producing waves, splashes, and swirling motion instead of simply behaving as a collection of independently scattering particles.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
“This happens because the stocks fall on the initial announcement of an investigation and rise once investors realize that Congress is not unified or there is no imminent credible government action,” they said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
Grand unified theories do not include the force of gravity.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Parton died last month at the age of 80, plunging her fans into mourning for a singer-songwriter, philanthropist and businesswoman whom many saw as a unifying figure in a divided America.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
"It's a step toward unifying all of the known fundamental forces, which has been a goal of physicists for more than a century."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Few would have guessed that Abraham Lincoln, or Franklin Roosevelt, or Ronald Reagan were capable of unifying Americans as they did, so it would be a mistake to say it isn’t possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Harald had been seen as a down to earth "people's king" who had helped to modernise the monarchy, broken with tradition by marrying a commoner and served as a unifying figure.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
