unionize

verb

union·​ize ˈyün-yə-ˌnīz 

unionized; unionizing

transitive verb

: to organize into a labor union

intransitive verb

: to form or join a labor union

unionizable

ˈyün-yə-ˌnī-zə-bəl 

adjective

unionizable employees

Examples of unionize in a Sentence

Workers are fighting for the right to unionize.

Recent Examples on the Web

The union is tied up in labor disputes over recent attempts to unionize facilities in two of those places — Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and Innercare, a community clinic in El Centro. — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026

Hosts for the home shopping network QVC voted to unionize in a National Labor Relations Board election that concluded on Thursday, paving the way for the presenters to join SAG-AFTRA. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

Nearly 10,000 attending doctors in the University of California system have announced their effort to unionize at a Thursday news conference outside the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

Hyundai may face less organized pushback on that initial deployment because the US workers at the Georgia factory are not unionized. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for unionize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

unionize

verb

union·​ize ˈyün-yə-ˌnīz 

unionized; unionizing

: to form into a labor union

unionization

ˌyün-yə-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun

Legal Definition

unionize

verb

union·​ize ˈyü-nyə-ˌnīz 

unionized; unionizing

transitive verb

: to organize into a labor union

to prevent them from unionizing the employees

also : to establish a labor union in

a unionized shop

intransitive verb

: to form or join a labor union

unionization

ˌyü-nyə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

noun