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unitary authority

British

noun

(in the United Kingdom) a district administered by a single tier of local government, esp those districts of England that became administratively independent of the county councils in 1996–98

"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

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.

From 2028, every district council in Worcestershire will be dissolved, and replaced by either one unitary authority for the county, or two, covering the north and south.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

The existing county council and six district councils would disappear - with Cheltenham joining Tewkesbury and the Cotswold district in a new eastern unitary authority.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

It would require a series of deals nationwide emulating North Yorkshire, which now has a unitary authority after eight councils were merged together last year.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2024

Ms Harrison represents the Oundle ward on North Northamptonshire Council and is executive member for adults, health and wellbeing on the unitary authority.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2024

City of York Council will remain separate but all others will be fused together under a new, unitary authority covering a population of 618,000.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023