unite
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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unites,
present (3rd person singular)
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united,
past participle, past
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uniting
present participle
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to join, combine, or incorporate so as to form a single whole or unit.
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to cause to adhere.
to unite two pieces of wood with glue.
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to cause to be in a state of mutual sympathy, or to have a common opinion or attitude.
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to have or exhibit in union or combination.
a person who unites generosity and forgiveness.
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to join in marriage.
verb (used without object)
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unites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
united,
past participle, past
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uniting
present participle
-
to become joined together or combined so as to form a single whole.
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to act in concert or agreement.
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to share a common opinion, attitude, etc.
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to be joined by or as if by adhesion.
noun
verb
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to make or become an integrated whole or a unity; combine
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to join, unify or be unified in purpose, action, beliefs, etc
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to enter or cause to enter into an association or alliance
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to adhere or cause to adhere; fuse
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(tr) to possess or display (qualities) in combination or at the same time
he united charm with severity
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archaic to join or become joined in marriage
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say unite? To unite is to combine or incorporate two or more things so as to form a single whole or unit. How is unite different from connect and join? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uniternoun
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nonunitableadjective
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nonuniteableadjective
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nonunitingadjective
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unitableadjective
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uniteableadjective
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ununitableadjective
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ununitingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unitesimple
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unitessimple
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have unitedperfect
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has unitedperfect
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am unitingprogressive
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are unitingprogressive
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is unitingprogressive
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have been unitingperfect progressive
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has been unitingperfect progressive
Past
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unitedsimple
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had unitedperfect
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was unitingprogressive
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were unitingprogressive
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had been unitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unite1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English uniten, from Latin ūnītus, past participle of ūnīre “to join together, unite,” equivalent to ūn(us) “one” + -ītus -ite 1
Origin of unite2
First recorded in 1595–1605; noun use of earlier past participle of unite 1, referring to union of England and Scotland
Explanation
Use the verb unite to describe two or more things merging into one, like several angry citizens who unite to form a political group. If two countries come together to form one country, they unite. This happened in 1990 when East Germany and West Germany merged into one united Germany. If several people act as one, joining for a common goal, they also unite. The word has been used in English since the fifteenth century, and it came from the Latin unitus, "to unite," which in turn has its roots in unus, which means "one."
Vocabulary lists containing unite
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Medieval Christendom, Lessons 1–2
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Chapter 5: The American Revolution, Lessons 3–5
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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:
"Students are winning! I think it is crucial that we unite around that narrative," student Dimitrije Potic told AFP at a May rally in Belgrade that drew more than 180,000 people.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
The show will merge not only the cultural resonance of the two in Mexican American culture, but also unite the sounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Even if the party were to win control of both chambers of Congress in November's elections, there are no guarantees of swift action as it would have to unite behind one proposal.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Because of this mismatch, physicists have spent decades searching for a deeper theory that could unite quantum mechanics and gravity.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Life with Cleopatra meant gaining supreme power that would unite the east and the west under his command.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
McDonald’s latest Happy Meal collaboration unites the anime pirates of One Piece with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"She's connected cultures, she's crossed borders, she's reminded audiences everywhere that while we may come from different backgrounds, her music unites in a way that few other things can," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“Economic crisis, political crisis. Soccer is something that unites us. We say there’s no better hug than after Argentina has scored a goal.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The funding comes through the agency’s National Quantum Virtual Laboratory program, which unites researchers, industry, and government to develop and commercialize quantum technology.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Y’all may be from different worlds, but the love of adventure unites you in friendship.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Another tacit nod to things being less than united recently.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
"We're in the implementation phase, and that is driving a stronger and more united alliance than I've seen in a long, long time," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
“UAW members are united and want us to keep fighting and building on what we’ve done.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
South Korea and Japan shelved decades of historical enmity to present China with a united front.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
They weren’t jaded, and now they’d been galvanized and united.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Kroger in 2022 agreed to buy Albertsons for $20 billion, uniting the No. 1 and No. 2 U.S. supermarket chains by store count.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The vandal surely didn’t mean to, but Wallace contends that he wound up uniting the neighborhood as never before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Harald "worked tirelessly throughout his reign to strengthen the ties uniting Norway and France", French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, recalling a "warm welcome" on his visit to Oslo in June 2025.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
In 1989, Parton returned to the big screen in Herbert Ross’ “Steel Magnolias,” in which her straight-talking small-town salon owner, Truvy Jones, was the firm-hold hairspray uniting an unforgettable array of Southern belles.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
“No one goes a step in any direction without her say-so. A few days ago she gave a speech about uniting against our oppressors, the people outside.”
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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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.
