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Meaning & use

united

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/juːˈnaɪtɪd/
US/juˈnaɪtɪd/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Sharing the same aim and acting together, with no serious disagreement.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a united team, the family was united.

    Patterns

    • united in something
    • united against something
    • united behind someone

    The staff were united against the plan to close the school.

    A united front helped the villagers win their case.

    The party seemed united behind its new leader.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Joined into a single whole, such as states or groups that merge or form a larger body.

    Grammar: Often appears in names of countries or organisations: the United Nations.

    Patterns

    • a united country
    • united under something

    The two companies formed a united organization after the merger.

    Germany became a united country again in 1990.

    The tribes were united under one chief.

  3. adjectivebefore a nounBritish

    Used in the names of sports clubs.

    Grammar: Capitalized as part of a name and often used after the town: Leeds United.

    Patterns

    • [town] United

    She has supported Manchester United since she was a child.

    The match between Leeds United and their local rivals sold out.

    He signed for Newcastle United last summer.

Word forms

comparativemore united
superlativemost united

Common combinations

stand united
The villagers stood united against the new road.
united front
Parents presented a united front at the meeting.
united in grief
The whole town was united in grief.
remain united
The players remained united despite the defeat.
a united effort
Rescuing the stranded boat was a united effort.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Synonyms and how they differ

unified
Unified suggests that separate parts were deliberately merged into one system, while united stresses shared purpose or feeling.
together
Together is a plain, casual word, whereas united is stronger and implies solidarity.
allied
Allied suggests a formal agreement between separate groups, whereas united may describe one body that has become one.
harmonious
Harmonious describes smooth relations and agreement, but does not imply working toward a common goal.

Opposites

dividedsplitdisunited

Word family

unite verb
to join together or make people act together
unity noun
the state of being joined or in agreement
union noun
an organization or the act of joining
unitedly adverb
in a joined, cooperative way; rare

Commonly confused: united or untied?

united vs untied

Untied means no longer knotted or fastened, as in untied shoelaces, and is the opposite of tied, not of divided.

Practice

After the argument, the committee remained ____ in their decision to support the plan.

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