unify
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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unifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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unified,
past participle, past
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unifying
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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unifiernoun
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reunifyverb (used with object)
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nonunifiedadjective
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quasi-unifiedadjective
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unifiableadjective
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ununifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unifysimple
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unifiessimple
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have unifiedperfect
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has unifiedperfect
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am unifyingprogressive
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are unifyingprogressive
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is unifyingprogressive
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have been unifyingperfect progressive
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has been unifyingperfect progressive
Past
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unifiedsimple
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had unifiedperfect
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was unifyingprogressive
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were unifyingprogressive
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had been unifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unify
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Late Latin ūnificāre, equivalent to Latin ūni- uni- + -ficāre -fy
Explanation
When you bring together unlike elements, you unify them. Political movements can unify people by inspiring them to work towards a shared goal. Likewise, a shared love of a team or band can unify people who otherwise don't have much in common. The verb unify comes from the Latin prefix uni-, “one,” and the root facere, “to make.” When you unify things, you make them one. Often squabbling people just need someone to point out their similarities in order to unify them. If your classmates are sabotaging each other to try to win the “best-decorated locker” award, you might be able to unify their efforts suggesting a “most awesome class” award instead.
Vocabulary lists containing unify
Power Prefix: uni-
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Vocabulary from Donald Trump's Victory Speech, November 9, 2016
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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:
In the past, external enemies tended to unify the country rather than divide it, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Without those individuals there would be nothing for the unity to … you know … unify.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Berkshire Hathaway, which already owns Clayton Homes, said that “over time” it plans to unify its “site-built homebuilding operations.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
The winner of Saturday night is only going to be in big fights and we'll see whether Oleksandr Usyk will want to unify the division or not.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Most Soviet and American soldiers went home after 1948, and many assumed that Korea would eventually unify under a single government.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
The move unifies a portfolio of more than 20 brands that has expanded as part of a continuing roll-up of smaller competitors.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
“It unifies community. It is the glue of democracy.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Ultimately, I think what unifies us is our history.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2024
University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti scientists have developed a ground-breaking piezoelectric-based DC-DC converter that unifies all power switches onto a single chip to increase power density.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 20, 2024
We do not yet have a complete consistent theory that unifies general relativity and quantum mechanics, but we do know a number of the features it should have.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
The finding does not provide a unified theory of quantum mechanics and gravity, and it does not demonstrate that gravity itself is quantum.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
"People want to come here and enjoy their holidays. I don't think any additional tax is needed, but if it is introduced it should be unified - not just one county."
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
It will create "a more unified country to overcome the challenges the country currently faces", said Tiglu Melese, secretary-general of parliament's upper house.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Duke coach Manny Diaz said the Power Four conferences need to present a unified front.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
A unified gasp ripples through the audience, too, as if everyone had felt it at the exact same time.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Few would have guessed that Abraham Lincoln, or Franklin Roosevelt, or Ronald Reagan were capable of unifying Americans as they did, so it would be a mistake to say it isn’t possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
They say it will be a more unifying role, representing all of Ethiopia's ethnic groups, compared to the current system in which Abiy is elected as a member of parliament from his Oromia region.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Trying to rank her best songs, however, is where her unifying powers hit a wall.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Sir Billy had a unique unifying effect on a normally partisan and tribal rugby league community.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In 1904, a single image captured under a microscope provided a unifying cause for all these seemingly disparate symptoms.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
