unify

American  

[yoo-nuh-fahy] / ˈju nəˌfaɪ /

verb (used with or without object)

• unifies,
  present (3rd person singular)
• unified,
  past participle,  past
• unifying
  present participle

1. 

   to make or become a single unit; unite.

   to unify conflicting theories;

   to unify a country.

   Synonyms:

   coalesce, fuse, merge, combine

---

unify British  

/ ˈjuːnɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to make or become one; unite

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unifier
  noun
• reunify
  verb (used with object)
• nonunified
  adjective
• quasi-unified
  adjective
• unifiable
  adjective
• ununified
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• unifying
  present
• unified
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• unify
  simple
• unifies
  simple
• have unified
  perfect
• has unified
  perfect
• am unifying
  progressive
• are unifying
  progressive
• is unifying
  progressive
• have been unifying
  perfect progressive
• has been unifying
  perfect progressive

Past

• unified
  simple
• had unified
  perfect
• was unifying
  progressive
• were unifying
  progressive
• had been unifying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will unify
  simple
• will have unified
  perfect
• will be unifying
  progressive
• will have been unifying
  perfect progressive

---

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unify unifies unified unifying

Sometimes the energy of all that “na-na-nah”-ing is infectious enough to unify rivals, if only for a few measures of music.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

In the past, external enemies tended to unify the country rather than divide it, he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Masters backed the English Football Association's withdrawal of support for Infantino - and called for a new candidate for the presidency who could unify football.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

For decades, physicists have been trying to unify quantum mechanics with gravity.

From Science Daily ● May 3, 2026

But the net result has been to bind the Earth together, to decrease provincialism, to unify the human species and to advance powerfully our knowledge of our planet and ourselves.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

In a country known for its partisan divisions, no issue unifies Argentines across the political spectrum more than the Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the south Atlantic that Argentina has long claimed as its own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

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

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

I grew up hearing my father's friends talk about religious divisions in the town, but I thought there must be more that unifies us than divides us.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

"Once upon a time, there was a unified audience which said the Tatas are good people with good governance. Today, the opinion is divided," said Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy consultant.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

"So, the United States is trying to mediate with the sides with the goal of creating a unified proposal."

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Its unified form, modular furnishings, water-recycling system and labor-saving technology promised a more efficient life, less tied to conventional building and household routines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

“This happens because the stocks fall on the initial announcement of an investigation and rise once investors realize that Congress is not unified or there is no imminent credible government action,” they said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

The whole collection of different formulations could be regarded as a complete unified theory, though one that could not be expressed in terms of a single set of postulates.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Acknowledging that the contest provokes "mixed feelings" in the Netherlands, the NPO said it had "explicitly asked the EBU to once again make the unifying character of the festival an important part of the event".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

"It's a step toward unifying all of the known fundamental forces, which has been a goal of physicists for more than a century."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

Sept. 11 was a politically unifying event at first, as wars tend to be.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

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

Wearing her hijab, which had once seemed an ordinary act, even if it sometimes got her unwanted attention, was now nothing less than a unifying act of faith and bravery.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• bring together
• consolidate
• merge

---