unity

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The state of being joined as one whole or of acting together with shared purpose.

   Grammar: Usually an abstract uncountable noun; common with national, family, and unity of purpose.

   Patterns

   • national unity
   • sense of unity
   • unity between or among people
   • unity of purpose

   The speech called for national unity after the storm.

   A shared goal gave the team unity.

   Unity among neighbors made the repairs faster.

2. 2noununcountablespecialist

   In art, writing, or music, the quality of parts fitting together as one clear whole.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable quality in design, literature, and music criticism.

   Patterns

   • achieve unity
   • visual unity
   • unity of form
   • lack unity

   The repeated colors give the mural visual unity.

   The essay has unity because every paragraph supports one claim.

   A steady beat gave the song unity.

Common combinations

national unity

The candidates both promised national unity.

sense of unity

The festival created a sense of unity downtown.

unity in diversity

The motto celebrates unity in diversity.

family unity

Regular meals helped preserve family unity.

unity of purpose

The volunteers worked with unity of purpose.

Synonyms and how they differ

harmony

Harmony suggests pleasing agreement or peaceful relations; unity stresses being one or moving together.

solidarity

Solidarity is loyal support within a group, often during difficulty; unity is broader togetherness.

cohesion

Cohesion describes parts sticking or fitting together; unity adds shared identity or purpose.

Opposites

Word family

unite verb

To join together or make into one.

united adjective

Joined together; sharing the same aim.

unification noun

The process of joining separate parts into one.

Commonly confused: unity or union? unity or unit?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “unity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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