Meaning & use
unison
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Meanings
noununcountable
The state of two or more people doing or saying something at exactly the same time.
Grammar: Mostly appears in the phrase in unison; it takes no article.
Patterns
- in unison
- in unison with someone
The class answered in unison.
The dancers moved in unison across the stage.
The crowd gasped in unison when the ball hit the post.
noununcountableformal
Agreement or harmony between people in their opinions or actions.
Grammar: Used with in: work in unison with others.
Patterns
- act in unison
- in unison with something
The two unions acted in unison to demand better pay.
Nations must work in unison to tackle climate change.
The board spoke in unison on the issue.
nouncountable or uncountablemusic
In music, the same note or melody sung or played together by different voices or instruments.
Grammar: Singing in unison means everyone sings the same line.
Patterns
- sing in unison
- play in unison
The choir sang the opening line in unison before splitting into harmony.
The violins and cellos play in unison here.
The monks chanted in unison.
Common combinations
- in perfect unison
- The rowers pulled in perfect unison.
- chant in unison
- Fans chanted in unison for the whole match.
- move in unison
- The flock of birds turned in unison.
- speak in unison
- The twins often speak in unison.
- act in unison
- The leaders must act in unison to be effective.
Synonyms and how they differ
- harmony
- Harmony means different parts fit well together, whereas unison means they are exactly the same at the same time.
- concert
- Concert, as in acting in concert, is a formal word for joint action and is rarely used for voices.
- togetherness
- Togetherness describes a feeling of closeness, not the exact timing that unison suggests.
Opposites
Word family
- unisonous adjective
- being in unison; rare
- unisonal adjective
- existing in unison; rare
- unify verb
- to make something united
Commonly confused: unison or union?
unison vs union
A union is a group joined together, such as a labor union; unison is the state of doing something together.
Practice
When the teacher walked in, the students stood up and said good morning ___.
Choose one answer.
In unison means together at the same moment. In unity is about harmony of purpose, and the others do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unison”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.