unitary

[ yoo-ni-ter-ee ]

See synonyms for unitary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to a unit or units.
of, pertaining to, characterized by, or aiming toward unity: the unitary principles of nationalism.

of the nature of a unit; having the indivisible character of a unit; whole.
serving as a unit, as of measurement or estimation.
of or relating to the use of units: A unitary method was applied.
Government. of or relating to a system of government in which the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of each state in a body of states are vested in a central authority.

Origin of unitary

First recorded in 1810–20; unit, unit(y) + -ary

Other words from unitary

u·ni·tar·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby unitary

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

How to use unitary in a sentence

Going back to the Reagan administration, conservative constitutional thinking has advocated for a powerful and unitary executive.
Will a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court roll back regulations on business? Not so fast | matthewheimer | October 27, 2020 | Fortune
The image of Israel as a unitary, inflexibly anti-peace body is not borne out by the legislative facts.
Israel's Political Process Sabotages Peace Efforts, But There Is A Constituency For Peace | Matt Lerner | November 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
It decides to pounce on a prey, to hide in the grass, to take off and fly, so the organism does behave as a very unitary entity.
Rediscovering Richard Dawkins: An Interview | J.P. O’Malley | September 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
This will also upset people supporting the creation of a single, unitary state—Jewish, Palestinian, or otherwise.
Two States With Open Borders | Geoffrey Levin | March 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In his U.N. speech, he spoke about “the medieval forces of radical Islam” as a unitary actor.
Netanyahu Falsely Likens Israeli-Iranian Relations to the Cold War | Peter Beinart | September 28, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

In particular, there appears to be little hope for any unitary concept of subjective well-being.
Daniel Kahneman Talks Intuition and Optimism With Sam Harris | Sam Harris | November 30, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
So Essence also does not remain unitary, because its potentiality extends to all it has become.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3 | Plotinos (Plotinus)
In that it is something unitary, without being unity itself; for what is a "certain one" is already manifold.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3 | Plotinos (Plotinus)
This means to signify that unity precedes the unitary thing by nature, just as heat precedes the hot object.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy | Isaac Husik
The theory is based upon a principle alleged to be Aristotle's that from a unitary cause nothing but a unitary effect can follow.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy | Isaac Husik
Unity precedes the unitary object as heat comes before the hot object.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy | Isaac Husik

British Dictionary definitions for unitary

unitary

/ (ˈjuːnɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

of a unit or units
based on or characterized by unity

individual; whole
of or relating to a system of government in which all governing authority is held by the central government: Compare federal

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

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