union

noun

\ ˈyün-yən

Definition of union

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one: such as

(1) : the formation of a single political unit from two or more separate and independent units

(2) : a uniting in marriage also : sexual intercourse

(3) : the growing together of severed parts

b : a unified condition : combination, junction a gracious union of excellence and strength

2 : something that is made one : something formed by a combining or coalition of parts or members: such as

a : a confederation of independent individuals (such as nations or persons) for some common purpose

b(1) : a political unit constituting an organic whole formed usually from units which were previously governed separately (such as England and Scotland in 1707) and which have surrendered or delegated their principal powers to the government of the whole or to a newly created government (such as the U.S. in 1789)

(2) capitalized : the federal union of states during the period of the American Civil War

c capitalized : an organization on a college or university campus providing recreational, social, cultural, and sometimes dining facilities also : the building housing such an organization

d : the set of all elements belonging to one or more of a given collection of two or more sets

— called also join, sum

e : labor union

3a : a device emblematic of the union of two or more sovereignties borne on a national flag typically in the upper inner corner or constituting the whole design of the flag

b : the upper inner corner of a flag

4 : any of various devices for connecting parts (as of a machine) especially : a coupling for pipes or pipes and fittings

union

adjective

Definition of union (Entry 2 of 2)

: of, relating to, dealing with, or constituting a union especially, capitalized : of, relating to, or being the side favoring the Union in the American Civil War Union troops

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Examples of union in a Sentence

Noun

She joined the teachers' union. An embryo is created through the union of sperm and egg. a perfect union of Eastern and Western music

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

When the owners and NFL Players Association battled in 2011, the union’s lack of negotiating power was on full display. — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, "NFL offseason often a time for bad news," 6 July 2019 Hundreds of Russia’s Armata tanks had already trundled to the union’s new western border—just 200km (125 miles) from Warsaw. — The Economist, "Europe alone: July 2024," 6 July 2019 City leaders this week discussed a civilian review board, a move long opposed by the powerful police union. — Washington Post, "Outcry pushes Phoenix to roll out body cameras for officers," 6 July 2019 There was much unhappiness in an independent Ireland, though union was no guarantee against it. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Off The Shelf: The Wrong Dubliner?," 5 July 2019 Some of the guards were getting paid as little as $11 an hour according to SEIU Local 1, the union that helped organize the strike. — Andrea Perez Balderrama, Detroit Free Press, "Bedrock Detroit security guards get $15 after last month's strike," 5 July 2019 Last month, the union representing AT$T workers announced the company is shuffling more than 1,800 jobs in 23 states. — Dallas News, "One year after its merger, AT&T keeps raising its fees, slowly but surely," 5 July 2019 Davis has argued that the officers’ conduct was so far outside their job duties that an agreement with the police union to cover lawsuit damages should not apply. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Will Baltimore have to pay for rogue Gun Trace Task Force officers' misdeeds? One lawsuit is a bellwether.," 4 July 2019 The city’s offer sticks to compensation and does not address other staffing and policy demands the union is seeking. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Daywatch: Fireworks laws and safety, CPS contract talks escalate and other things to know to start your day," 4 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'union.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near union

Statistics for union

Last Updated

10 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for union

The first known use of union was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for union

union

noun

English Language Learners Definition of union

: an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members

: an act of joining two or more things together

: a group of states or nations that are ruled by one government or that agree to work together

See the full definition for union in the English Language Learners Dictionary

union

noun

\ ˈyün-yən

Kids Definition of union

1 : an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one The river is formed by the union of two tributaries.

2 : something (as a nation) formed by a combining of parts or members

3 capitalized : the United States

4 capitalized : the group of states that supported the United States government in the American Civil War

5 : a device for connecting parts (as pipes)

6 : labor union

Union

adjective

Kids Definition of Union

: relating to the group of states that supported the United States government in the American Civil War Union soldiers

union

noun

\ ˈyü-nyən

Medical Definition of union

: an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one: as

a : the growing together of severed parts union of a fractured bone

b : a chemical combination : bond

c : the joining of two germ cells in the process of fertilization

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union

noun

Legal Definition of union

1 : an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one especially : the formation of a single political unit from two or more separate and individual units

2 : something that is made one : something formed by a combining or coalition of its members: as

a : a confederation of independent individuals (as nations or persons) for some common purpose

b : a political unit constituting an organic whole formed usually from previously independent units (as England and Scotland in 1707) which have surrendered their principal powers to the government of the whole or to a newly created government (as the U.S. in 1789)

c : labor union