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

"We reaffirm that any threat to our homeland will be met with national unity, unshakeable resolve, and strength through all means available," a foreign ministry statement said.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

"The technical phrase that is used in research for this is known as 'emotional contagion', which basically says behaviours and attitudes and unity can spread and ripple through the team," he said.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

That unity of purpose will persist until Celtic have won the title, or lost it for only the second time in 15 years.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Analysts see Iraq as a potential flight risk and say OPEC’s unity could face another test when the Iran war ends.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

But his exhortations toward national unity were less descriptions than anticipations, less reminders of the way we were than predictions of what we could become.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

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