unity

American  

[yoo-ni-tee] / ˈyu nɪ ti /

noun

plural

unities

1. the state of being one; oneness.

   Synonyms:

   individuality, singularity, singleness

   Antonyms:

   variety, diversity

2. a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one.

3. the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification.

4. absence of diversity; unvaried or uniform character.

5. oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement.

   Synonyms:

   unison, concert

6. Mathematics.

   1. the number one; a quantity regarded as one.

   2. identity.

7. (in literature and art) a relation of all the parts or elements of a work constituting a harmonious whole and producing a single general effect.

8. one of the three principles of dramatic structure the three unities derived from Aristotelian aesthetics and formalized in the neoclassic canon in which a play is required to represent action as taking place in one day unity of time, as occurring within one place unity of place, and as having a single plot with a beginning, middle, and end unity of action.

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unity British  

/ ˈjuːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being one; oneness

2. the act, state, or quality of forming a whole from separate parts

3. something whole or complete that is composed of separate parts

4. mutual agreement; harmony or concord

   the participants were no longer in unity

5. uniformity or constancy

   unity of purpose

6. maths

   1. the number or numeral one

   2. a quantity assuming the value of one

      the area of the triangle was regarded as unity

   3. the element of a set producing no change in a number following multiplication

7. the arrangement of the elements in a work of art in accordance with a single overall design or purpose

8. any one of the three principles of dramatic structure deriving from Aristotle's Poetics by which the action of a play should be limited to a single plot (unity of action), a single location (unity of place), and the events of a single day (unity of time)

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Related Words

See union.

Other Word Forms

• nonunity noun
• self-unity noun
• superunity noun

Etymology

Origin of unity

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English unite, from Old French, from Latin ūnitās, from ūn(us) one + -itās -ity

Explanation

Unity is being together or at one with someone or something. It's the opposite of being divided. This is a word for togetherness or oneness. When the north won the Civil War, it assured the unity of the United States. Sports teams wear uniforms to show unity, and their fans wear team colors for the same reason. When a bunch of people act as one and are on the same page, they're displaying unity. When people are bickering and disorganized, there's no unity. In any group or cause, unity can be hard to find and maintain.

Example Sentences

In “The National Road,” Mr. Crytzer pays fitting tribute to the road’s memory and the original concept of commerce as the glue of national unity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Developing water and overland trade routes, especially along and between the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, was integral to his project for national unity, which remained unrealized during his lifetime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

"I hope we can send a strong message of unity and ambition", Barbut said at the opening of the meeting.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

It dwelt on historical themes and called for unity among Ethiopians.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

There has never been a third-party movement to match it, not in the number of electoral victories it won, nor in the feeling of class unity across racial lines it engendered.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• agreement
• consensus
• harmony
• identity
• integrity
• peace
• solidarity
• unanimity
• unification