unity

[yoo-ni-tee]

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.

unity

/ 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)

Other Word Forms

• nonunity noun
• self-unity noun
• superunity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unity¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of unity¹

C13: from Old French unité, from Latin ūnitās, from ūnus one

Synonym Study

See union.

Example Sentences

“So far he has chosen to make most of his efforts about unity, about a sense of harmony,” said Faggioli.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Factions calling for unity are answered by those questioning how the people demanding it define that word.

Read more on Salon

The Lebanon visit "carries enormous significance", said university student Gilbert Bakhos, 19, adding that it brings "unity and peace".

Read more on Barron's

This structure—combined with its independent sources of funding and its reported record of abuses—posed a direct threat to Sudan’s stability and to the unity of our national institutions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the committee hearing, board members were at pains to present a position of unity, although this letter paints a different picture.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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