unitary
Americanadjective
-
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.
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unitary
Explanation
Use the adjective unitary to describe something that has or desires unity, or oneness. Just as the United States are joined together as one, words such as united and unity have to do with oneness or coming together into a single entity. The same is true of unitary. A unitary concert brings different kinds of music together. Unitary philosophy deals with how everything is part of a whole. There are many technical uses of this word, but they all have to do with uniting something.
Vocabulary lists containing unitary
Foundations of Government and Citizenship
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
According to the opposition Democratic Unitary Platform, as of Sunday night 436 prisoners had been released since Jan. 3 while 676 are still being held.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
Tuesday’s agreement between President Nicolás Maduro’s administration and the Unitary Platform came just days before the opposition holds a primary to pick its candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023
Washington also imposed sanctions on Belarus's state-owned tourism company, Republican Unitary Enterprise Tsentrkurort, and seven Belarusian government officials over the migrant crisis.
From Reuters • Dec. 2, 2021
Unitary and metropolitan authorities, as well as education authorities, also run leisure facilities in England.
From BBC • May 14, 2021
The Unitary Plan Tunnel had come online in 1955, funded by legislation to build state-of-the-art wind tunnels at each of the NACA’s three main laboratories.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
