disunity

American  

[dis-yoo-ni-tee] / dɪsˈyu nɪ ti /

noun

plural

disunities

1. lack of unity or accord.

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disunity British  

/ dɪsˈjuːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. dissension or disagreement

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Etymology

Origin of disunity

First recorded in 1625–35; dis- ¹ + unity

Explanation

Disunity is a state of disagreement and conflict in a group of people. If you and your siblings are bickering loudly about who gets to sit in the front seat of the car, that's a good example of disunity. When people experience disunity, they just can't get along — in other words, they're not united. Unity, "the state of being one," comes from the Latin unitatem, "oneness, sameness, or agreement." Adding the prefix dis-, "not, or lack of," gives you the exact opposite. The disunity of a country can be seen in bitter political rhetoric, and your book group shows disunity when the members argue incessantly over what to read next.

Example Sentences

He added that if he and Crofts had known the song “was going to cause such disunity, we might have thought twice about doing it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

For many Russians, disagreement signals not free thought but chaotic disunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

"At any time in history there will always be some disunity under the surface," said Southgate.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Whether selfless unity can overcome a history of selfish disunity — actualized in the face of a common “threat” from within — will be the question of the day.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2025

Although periods of disunity returned several times after 221 B.C., they always ended in reunification.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• discord
• dissension
• divergence