unite

verb \ yu̇-ˈnīt \

Definition of unite

united; uniting

transitive verb

1 a :to put together to form a single unit

b :to cause to adhere

c :to link by a legal or moral bond

2 :to possess (different things, such as qualities) in combination

intransitive verb

1 a :to become one or as if one

b :to become combined by or as if by adhesion or mixture

2 :to act in concert

—

uniter

noun

See unite defined for English-language learners

See unite defined for kids

Examples of unite in a Sentence

Party members united in support of their candidate.
Students united to protest the tuition increase.
uniting against a common enemy
The struggle to end slavery united rich and poor.
A treaty united the independent nations.
The sperm and egg unite to form an embryo.

Recent Examples of unite from the Web

We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.

— adam darby, kansascity, "Twitter should ban Trump because his tweets violate terms of service, critics contend," 13 Aug. 2017
We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.

— adam darby, kansascity, "Twitter should ban Trump because his tweets violate terms of service, critics contend," 13 Aug. 2017
We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.

— emma stefansky, vanityfair.com, "Donald Trump Finally Breaks Silence After White Nationalist Charlottesville Rally," 12 Aug. 2017
Prayer meeting among the tribes united against the Keystone XL pipeline pic.twitter.com/pkf2dviYSw — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) August 8, 2017 Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "People Shouldn't Buy the Right to Steal Your Land," 9 Aug. 2017
The zoo’s goal was to unite Fiona with her parents.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Fiona and me: Love for a baby hippo, and for people, too.," 8 Aug. 2017
ICYMI, back in April, our girl Selena Gomez hosted WE Day, an annual event aimed at uniting likeminded youth with the mission of changing the world — one community at a time.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "Selena Gomez Goes Head to Head With Miss Piggy in Exclusive Video for WE Day," 3 Aug. 2017
This one-of-a-kind conference united more than 6,000 attendees from school nutrition, industry and allied organizations, for an unparalleled networking and educational experience.

— The Aegis, "Harford schools food, nutrition manager earns national honor," 24 July 2017
The Orlando City Soccer Club united together after the tragic Orlando shooting on June 12, 2016, to help aid in inclusion and respect.

— posted jim varsallone, miamiherald, "WWE Stephanie McMahon, Dolphins Stephen Ross win ENSPIRE awards," 15 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of unite

Middle English, from Anglo-French uniter, from Latin unitus, past participle of unire, from unus one — more at one

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

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unite Synonyms

Synonyms

associate, coalesce, combine, conjoin, conjugate, connect, couple, fuse, interfuse, join, link (up), marry, unify

Antonyms

break up, dissever, part, section, separate, sever, split, sunder, unlink

Related Words

mate, yoke; ally, confederate, league; chain, compound, hitch, hook, splice; assemble, cluster, congregate, constellate, convene, gather, meet; recombine, reconnect, rejoin, reunify, reunite

Near Antonyms

detach, disaffiliate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, fractionate, isolate, resolve, uncouple, unyoke; disband, disperse, scatter

Synonym Discussion of unite

join, combine, unite, connect, link, associate, relate mean to bring or come together into some manner of union. join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

- joined forces in an effort to win

combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

- combined jazz and rock to create a new music

unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

- the colonies united to form a republic

connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

- a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

- a name forever linked with liberty

associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

- opera is popularly associated with high society

relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

- related what he observed to what he already knew

unite

noun \ ˈyü-ˌnīt \

Definition of unite

:an old British gold 20-shilling piece issued first by James I in 1604 for the newly united England and Scotland — called also Jacobus

Recent Examples of unite from the Web

The graduates in their caps and gowns and the protesters supporting Local 33 UNITE HERE wearing orange T-shirts and carrying orange balloons mostly avoided each other.

— kathleen megan, courant.com, "Yale Honors Stevie Wonder, John Kerry, John Lewis At Commencement," 22 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of unite

obsolete unite united, from Middle English unit, from Latin unitus, past participle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1604

See Words from the same year

UNITE Defined for English Language Learners

unite

verb

Definition of unite for English Language Learners

: to join together to do or achieve something
: to cause (two or more people or things) to be joined together and become one thing
: to become joined together as one thing