unit

[ yoo-nit ]

/ ˈyu nɪt /

Save This Word!

noun

a single thing or person.

any group of things or persons regarded as an entity: They formed a cohesive unit.

one of the individuals or groups that together constitute a whole; one of the parts or elements into which a whole may be divided or analyzed.

one of a number of things, organizations, etc., identical or equivalent in function or form: a rental unit; a unit of rolling stock.

any magnitude regarded as an independent whole; a single, indivisible entity.

Also called dimension. any specified amount of a quantity, as of length, volume, force, momentum, or time, by comparison with which any other quantity of the same kind is measured or estimated.

the least positive integer; one.

Also called unit's place.

(in a mixed number) the position of the first digit to the left of the decimal point.
(in a whole number) the position of the first digit from the right of the decimal point.

a machine, part, or system of machines having a specified purpose; apparatus: a heating unit.

Education. a division of instruction centering on a single theme.

Military. an organized body of soldiers, varying in size and constituting a subdivision of a larger body.

Medicine/Medical.

the measured amount of a substance necessary to cause a certain effect; a clinical quantity used when a substance cannot be readily isolated in pure form and its activity determined directly.
the amount necessary to cause a specific effect upon a specific animal or upon animal tissues.

Mathematics.

an identity element.
an element in a group, ring, etc., that possesses an inverse.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of unit

1570; coined by John Dee as a translation of Greek mónas (previously rendered as unity); perhaps influenced by digit

OTHER WORDS FROM unit

in·ter·u·nit, adjectivemul·ti·u·nit, adjectivesubunit, nounsu·per·u·nit, noun

Words nearby unit

unisexual, unisize, unison, unisonous, unispiral, unit, UNITA, unitage, unitard, unitarian, Unitarianism

Other definitions for unit (2 of 2)

Unit.

abbreviation

Unitarian.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unit in a sentence

Gunnar shared her idea with members of the adoption unit at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Puberty can repair the brain’s stress responses after hardship early in life|Esther Landhuis|August 28, 2020|Science News
LG says you can "wear the unit comfortably for hours on end" but that the 820mAh battery is only good for "eight hours of operation in low mode and two hours on high."
LG’s battery-powered face mask will “make breathing effortless”|Ron Amadeo|August 27, 2020|Ars Technica
On Tuesday, the San Francisco Bay Area company announced a new subsidiary named Coefficient Insurance that will also be backed by Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, the commercial insurance unit of Swiss Re Group.
Alphabet’s Verily plans to use big data to help employers predict health insurance costs|Rachel Schallom|August 25, 2020|Fortune
“For every dollar that we don’t collect from rent, that’s one fewer dollar we have to run that unit,” Neely said in an interview.
She Was Sued Over Rent She Didn’t Owe. It Took Seven Court Dates to Prove She Was Right.|by Danielle Ohl, Capital Gazette, and Talia Buford and Beena Raghavendran, ProPublica|August 25, 2020|ProPublica

While it may look like the water would stay contained to your unit, water moves in mysterious ways.
Know your limits when it comes to DIY|Sherri Anne Green|August 15, 2020|Washington Blade
“Stay in formation,” a sergeant from the ceremonial unit said over a public address system to the cops along the street.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My father was in an intelligence unit for the U.S. Navy, as he had been in World War II.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Bitcoin began 2013 with a roaring price of $770 per unit, and businesses right and left were converting to the ethereal product.
You Were Wrong About Miley & Bitcoin: 2014’s Failed Predictions|Nina Strochlic|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They then become members of the ultra elite Unit 121, granted premium housing and a well-stocked cupboard.
Inside the ‘Surprisingly Great’ North Korean Hacker Hotel|Michael Daly|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The unit is used to attack foreign networks, and either it or a sister organization was involved in the Sony hack.
U.S. Should Make North Korea Pay for Sony Hack|Gordon G. Chang|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a fighting unit they are on their last legs and when they will be set upon their feet again Lord K. knows.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
It is built on the "Unit" principle, and is divided between the extreme ends of the lofty structure.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
This gallery division, complete in itself, represents the latest type of Unit organ.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
As we came to each Battalion Headquarters we were told, "These are the remnants of the——," whatever the unit was.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The first duty of father and mother to their child is to see that they are a unit on family government.
The value of a praying mother|Isabel C. Byrum

British Dictionary definitions for unit (1 of 2)

unit

/ (ˈjuːnɪt) /

noun

a single undivided entity or whole

any group or individual, esp when regarded as a basic element of a larger whole

a mechanical part or integrated assembly of parts that performs a subsidiary functiona filter unit

a complete system, apparatus, or establishment that performs a specific functiona production unit

a subdivision of a larger military formation

Also called: unit of measurement A standard amount of a physical quantity, such as length, mass, energy, etc, specified multiples of which are used to express magnitudes of that physical quantitythe second is a unit of time

the amount of a drug, vaccine, etc, needed to produce a particular effect

a standard measure used in calculating alcohol intake and its effect

maths

(usually plural) the first position in a place-value counting system, representing a single-digit numberin the decimal system the number 27 has 7 units and 2 tens
(modifier) having a value defined as one for the systemunit vector

Also called: unit set maths logic a set having a single member

short for home unit

short for stock unit

NZ a self-propelled railcar

Word Origin for unit

C16: back formation from unity, perhaps on the model of digit

British Dictionary definitions for unit (2 of 2)

Unit.

abbreviation for

Unitarian

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

unit

Origin of unit

OTHER WORDS FROM unit

Words nearby unit

Other definitions for unit (2 of 2)

Words related to unit

How to use unit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unit (1 of 2)

Word Origin for unit

British Dictionary definitions for unit (2 of 2)