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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
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:
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
SpaceX, trading at 93 times next year’s estimated earnings, seems hardly the stock to unite both short-term-focused hedge-fund managers and more long-term-oriented mutual-fund managers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
“It should be the one thing we can all unite on and fight against.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
When Lantern Corps members unite their rings’ powers, they can move planets.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Because the chromosome number for a given species is constant, the egg and the sperm, which are to unite to form a new individual, must carry to their union only half the species number.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
In that vein, the imagination as shaped by fiction is not focused on what divides but rather on what unites, even if the story depicts acts of brutality or oppression.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"Football is a language spoken without words, a force that unites people."
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 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
What unites the jobs of musician, producer, executive, manager?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
As one popular toast of the day put it, he was “the man who unites all hearts.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Based just five miles apart and united by a shared desire to return to the top of the Premier League, their gameplans are almost diametrically opposed.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Local residents have taken to the streets and beaches repeatedly this summer to protest the island’s growing flock of visitors, united by one message: “Tourists, go home.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
These three films may differ in their likability, but they’re united in their plainness.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
"As Jews we will stand tall, united, proud and strong," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
“All Koreans have ever wanted was to be united again into one country,” he says.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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
Nobody has put their name forward yet, but if the leaders of Uefa, Concacaf, and AFC are serious about toppling Infantino, uniting behind a single candidate is likely their best option.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The effort is also entirely bipartisan, uniting Trump-supporting Republicans with young socialists in a fight for their land and resources.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
But, as it turns out, there is one common thread uniting each of these stars’ personal homes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
At the same time women were uniting in great numbers to gain the vote, a huge segment of them were facing another challenge, one that history books have often overlooked.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
Definitions 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.
