union

noun

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\ ˈyün-yən

plural unions

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) 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

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 Union : of, relating to, or being the side favoring the Union in the American Civil War Union troops

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing union Learn More About union

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 Ratifying the tentative agreement between the city and its firefighters’ union. — Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2022 An independent expenditure committee funded to the tune of $2 million by the LAPD’s rank-and-file officers union is slated to spend most of that money on ads attacking Bass. — Benjamin Oreskesstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2022 Last month, Moore has also picked up endorsements from former NAACP president Ben Jealous, who won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2018, and from the Maryland State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. — Washington Post, 7 May 2022 An underground fire was reported late Saturday afternoon in the Mount Washington neighborhood, according to the Baltimore City firefighters union. — Lillian Reed, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2022 Christian Smalls was in the building Worker- and union-rights advocates have been thrilled with the ascent of the charismatic founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), who has been a clear voice for corporate accountability. — Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 6 May 2022 Diversity includes considering racial, ethnic, geographic and economic diversity, as well as union representation. — Adam Brewster, Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 6 May 2022 New York CNN Business — Starbucks isn’t pleased that the White House left management out of a meeting with union representatives. — Danielle Wiener-bronner, CNN, 6 May 2022 Official results are still up in the air from another union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. — Madeline Halpert, Forbes, 6 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Amazon, for its part, has conveyed its anti-union stance to warehouse workers through signage inside its warehouses, text messages, and meetings that workers were required to attend before the election periods kicked off. — Sara Ashley O'brien, CNN, 25 Mar. 2022 The vote is notable considering the company’s anti-union stance. — Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2021 Twitter cracks down on A.I. bots supporting Amazon in its anti-union stance. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2021 The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, whose chance of winning in Alabama depended on limiting turnout to those who were pro-union, objected. — Sean Higgins, WSJ, 25 Apr. 2022 Quarterly reports on management’s plans for content and language around subcontracting non-union employees to do work protected by the contract are also included. — Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2022 The deal, which does not include non-union employees and state legislators, calls for increases retroactive to July 1, 2021 that covers the current fiscal year. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2022 Being pro-union, pro–gun control, anti–Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and anti-Trump simply isn’t enough for progressives. — Nr Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 Because Walmart is non-union, there is no comparable survey data to the UFCW report. — Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2022 See More

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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Uniola

union

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Last Updated

11 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Union.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/union. Accessed 22 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for union

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

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