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• uni
  uni

  noun

  a uniformed police officer; uniform.
• uni-
  uni-

  a combining form occurring in loanwords from Latin (universe ), used, with the meaning “one,” in the formation of compound words (unicycle ).

uni

¹ American  

[yoo-nee] / ˈyu ni /

noun

Informal.

1. a uniformed police officer; uniform.

   A uni phoned in the burglary at 2:19 this morning.

2. British and Australian. university.

   Tony and Marc are both off to uni in two weeks.

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uni- ² American  

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Latin (universe ), used, with the meaning “one,” in the formation of compound words (unicycle ).

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uni- ¹ British  

combining form

1. consisting of, relating to, or having only one

   unilateral

   unisexual

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uni ² British  

/ ˈjuːnɪ /

noun

1. informal short for university

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Usage

What does uni- mean? Uni- is a combining form used like a prefix, meaning “one.”  Uni- appears in a wide variety of everyday and technical terms alike. Uni- comes from the Latin ūnus, meaning “one.” The Greek counterpart of uni- is mono-, as in monologue. Learn more at our Words That Use article on the form.

Etymology

Origin of uni¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening

Origin of uni-²

< Latin ūni- combining form of ūnus one; see -i-

Example Sentences

On the menu is uni pasta, hanger steak au poivre and a dry-aged burger with fries, which restaurant critic Bill Addison says doesn’t require any twists because “it’s simply a fantastic burger.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

I especially enjoyed the sweet shrimp and Hokkaido uni served over cold somen noodles.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

She likens it to "going back to uni".

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

"I'd done a lot of more serious plays at uni but I was always a lover of comedy and decided to give it a crack after I left," she recalled.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

Using chopsticks, Coach sets on my plate white rice with uni on top.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes