unit

noun

\ ˈyü-nət

Definition of unit

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the first and least natural number : one

b : a single quantity regarded as a whole in calculation

2 : a determinate quantity (as of length, time, heat, or value) adopted as a standard of measurement: such as

a : an amount of work used in education in calculating student credits

b : an amount of a biologically active agent (such as a drug or antigen) required to produce a specific result — compare international unit

3a : a single thing, person, or group that is a constituent of a whole

b : a part of a military establishment that has a prescribed organization (as of personnel and materiel)

c : a piece or complex of apparatus serving to perform one particular function

d : a part of a school course focusing on a central theme

e : a local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses

f : a small molecule especially when combined in a larger molecule repeating units of a polymer

g : an area in a medical facility and especially a hospital that is specially staffed and equipped to provide a particular type of care an intensive care unit

unit

adjective

Definition of unit (Entry 2 of 2)

: being, relating to, or measuring one unit

Examples of unit in a Sentence

Noun

The family is the basic unit of society. The search party broke up into smaller units. Their army unit guarded the border. Feet and meters are units of length. The dollar is the principal unit of American currency.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Congratulations are in order to an elite squad known as the special victims unit. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Mariska Hargitay Had the Most Emotional Response to the Historic 'Law & Order: SVU' News," 6 Apr. 2019 One unit of a two-family home, the apartment boasts 4 bedrooms and 5 beds, and is located within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of the city's Stockdale District. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Where to Stay in New York's Hudson Valley," 5 Apr. 2019 When dark hair is used, these knots appear as small black dots that are super noticeable, particularly where the unit is parted. — Shammara Lawrence, Allure, "6 Common Wig Mistakes People Make and How to Fix Them," 21 Mar. 2019 Mathur argued that black holes are not empty pits but packed full of strings (the fundamental units of string theory), with an actual surface like a star or planet. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Stephen Hawking’s final paper published, tackles famous paradox," 11 Oct. 2018 Cruise Automation, the self-driving unit of General Motors, is teaming up with Honda, one of the world’s largest automakers. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Recode Daily: Did Chinese spies infiltrate Apple and Amazon with tiny chips?," 4 Oct. 2018 To refresh your memory, a closure is a hairpiece that is sewn along the front of a unit that mimics a real hairline. — Shammara Lawrence, Allure, "6 Common Wig Mistakes People Make and How to Fix Them," 21 Mar. 2019 Drew Angerer/Getty Images Snap’s secretive hardware unit, SnapLab — the team responsible for its Spectacles photo and video sunglasses — has a new boss, its third in the past six months. — Kurt Wagner, Recode, "Snap has a new Spectacles boss, its third in the past six months," 18 Dec. 2018 The four-person implementation support unit, the convention’s sole administrative body, has immense responsibilities that far exceed its current resources. — R. Daniel Bressler, Vox, "“Designer bugs”: how the next pandemic might come from a lab," 6 Dec. 2018

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

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Last Updated

14 Apr 2019

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The first known use of unit was in 1570

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More Definitions for unit

unit

noun

English Language Learners Definition of unit

: a single thing, person, or group that is a part of something larger

: a part of a hospital where a particular type of care is provided

: a particular amount of length, time, money, etc., that is used as a standard for counting or measuring

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

unit

noun

\ ˈyü-nət

Kids Definition of unit

1 : a single thing, person, or group forming part of a whole There are 36 units in my apartment building.

2 : the least whole number : one

3 : a fixed quantity (as of length, time, or value) used as a standard of measurement An inch is a unit of length.

4 : a part of a school course with a central theme

unit

noun

\ ˈyü-nət

Medical Definition of unit

1 : an amount of a biologically active agent (as a drug or antigen) required to produce a specific result under strictly controlled conditions a unit of penicillin — see international unit

2 : a small molecule especially when combined in a larger molecule repeating units of a polymer

3 : an area in a medical facility and especially a hospital that is specially staffed and equipped to provide a particular type of care an intensive care unit