union

1 of 2

noun

plural unions
1
a
: 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
(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)
the Union in U.S. history : the group of states that remained part of the United States after 11 southern states seceded in 1860 and 1861 and formed the Confederacy (see confederacy sense 2b) : the federal union of states during the period of the American Civil War
c
Union : 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

3
a
: 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

2 of 2

adjective

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Increases in media revenue and franchise valuation compelled the players union to push for a new collective bargaining agreement with the league, one that was agreed to in August. Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 26 Nov. 2024 Opinion Trump Won With the Most Diverse GOP Since the Civil Rights Act | Opinion Prior to the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in 1934, American workers had no legal process to form a union. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
These laws provide union representation to non-union members in union workplaces – without requiring the payment of union dues. Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024 The union wants to prevent employers from outsourcing those jobs to non-union workers or automated systems. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for union 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin union-, unio oneness, union, from Latin unus one — more at one

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1634, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near union

Cite this Entry

“Union.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/union. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

union

1 of 2 noun
ˈyün-yən
1
a
: an act or instance of uniting two or more things into one
the union of Scotland and England
union of a man and woman in marriage
b
: combination sense 1
the union of science and technology to solve modern problems
2
a
: something (as a nation) formed by a combining of parts or members
c
: the mathematical set that contains all of the elements which are included in at least one of two or more sets
the union of the set {1, 2, 3} and the set {3, 4, 5} is the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
3
: a device for connecting parts (as pipes)

Union

2 of 2 adjective
: of, relating to, or being the side favoring the federal union in the American Civil War
the Union army

Medical Definition

union

noun
: 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

Legal Definition

union

noun
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)

More from Merriam-Webster on union

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