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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.
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 ).

uni- 1 British  

combining form

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

    unilateral

    unisexual
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
uni 2 British  
/ ˈjuːnɪ /

noun

  1. informal short for university

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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; -i-

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.

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

Chloe Harmer, 20, used backlighting strips on her mirror in her uni room.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

Yama Seafood carries an incredible selection of premium uni, from multiple grades of Hokkaido to more local options like Maine and Santa Barbara.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

“It’s not like you used to listen to me at uni, either.”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

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.