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Meaning & use

union

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈjuːniən/
US/ˈjuːniən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    An organization of workers that bargains with employers about pay and working conditions.

    Grammar: Also called a labor union (US) or trade union (UK).

    Patterns

    • join a union
    • a union of workers

    Teachers at the school voted to join a union.

    The union negotiated a raise for all drivers.

    She became the union representative for her department.

  2. noununcountable

    The act of joining two or more things, or the state of being joined.

    Grammar: Often followed by of: the union of two companies.

    Patterns

    • the union of A and B
    • in union with someone

    The union of the two companies created a global brand.

    The marriage was a union of two old families.

    They worked in union to finish the project.

  3. nouncountable

    A group of states, countries, or groups that have joined together under one government or organization.

    Grammar: Often capitalized in names like the European Union.

    Patterns

    • the European Union

    Many nations joined the union to trade more easily.

    The Soviet Union broke up in 1991.

    Each state agreed to remain part of the Union.

  4. nouncountablemathematicstechnical

    In mathematics, the set containing every element that belongs to at least one of two or more sets.

    Grammar: Written with the symbol ∪.

    Patterns

    • the union of two sets

    The union of {1, 2} and {2, 3} is {1, 2, 3}.

    Draw the union of the two circles in the diagram.

    Students learned the difference between a union and an intersection.

Word forms

pluralunions

Common combinations

trade union
The trade union called a strike.
labor union
She works for a labor union.
European Union
The European Union has its own parliament.
join a union
New workers can join a union after a month.
credit union
We opened a savings account at the credit union.
union leader
The union leader spoke to the press.

Synonyms and how they differ

alliance
Alliance is a formal agreement to cooperate, while union implies being joined more closely.
association
Association is a looser group of people with a shared goal, and does not have to bargain for workers.
merger
Merger is used for businesses combining, while union is a more general word.
guild
Guild is a historical or craft association, and sounds older than union.

Opposites

divisionseparation

Word family

unionize verb
to form or join a union
unionist noun
a union member or supporter
unite verb
to join together
unity noun
the state of being joined
reunion noun
a meeting of people after time apart

Commonly confused: union or unity? union or onion?

union vs unity

Unity is the state of being in agreement or one whole, while union can be the act of joining or an organization.

union vs onion

Onion is the vegetable; the spelling is similar but the words are unrelated.

Practice

The factory workers formed a ___ to negotiate better pay and safer conditions.

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