unity

unity — noun

1. the situation in which people or groups work together and share the same goals,

1.nounB2
Definition

the situation in which people or groups work together and share the same goals, beliefs, or feelings

Example

The party leader's speech called for national unity in the face of the economic crisis.

collocation: national unity

The two communities worked together in a spirit of unity after the earthquake.

collocation: spirit of unity

Common collocations
  • national unity
  • political unity
  • family unity
  • social unity
  • spirit of unity
  • bring unity
  • call for unity
Synonyms
  • solidarity

    emphasises active mutual support among a group rather than just agreement

  • harmony

    stresses a peaceful and pleasant state of agreement, often without conflict

  • cohesion

    more formal; describes how well the parts of a group stick together

Antonyms
  • division

    a state in which people disagree strongly or are separated into opposing groups

  • conflict

    an active disagreement or fight between people or groups

Usage Note

Uncountable noun. Often used with adjectives such as 'national', 'political', 'family', or 'social' to indicate the kind of togetherness being referred to.

Common Mistakes

The party needs a unity to win.
The party needs unity to win.
Unity is uncountable and does not take an indefinite article in this sense.
There is unity between the two countries.
There is unity between the two peoples.
Unity describes agreement among people, not a physical or geographical connection.

2. the quality in a work of art, design, music, or writing where all the different

2.nounB2
Definition

the quality in a work of art, design, music, or writing where all the different parts fit together well and create a pleasing whole

Example

The designer used the same colour palette throughout the room to create unity.

collocation: create unity

In her painting, the unity of the composition comes from repeating the same shape in different sizes.

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Common collocations
  • visual unity
  • structural unity
  • create unity
  • achieve unity
  • unity of form
  • unity of design
  • unity of composition
Synonyms
  • coherence

    emphasises how logically or naturally the parts connect to each other

  • consistency

    stresses a uniform style or treatment across the whole work

  • integration

    suggests an active combining of separate parts into a functioning whole

Antonyms
  • fragmentation

    a state in which the parts are broken apart or disconnected

  • disharmony

    a lack of pleasing visual or structural agreement between parts

Usage Note

Mainly used in discussions of art, design, music, architecture, and literature. Focuses on formal or aesthetic coherence rather than people working together — distinguish from sense 1 (SOLIDARITY).

Common Mistakes

The country needs unity in its music policy.
The country needs unity on its cultural policy.
Sense 2 applies to the internal coherence of a single artistic work, not to policy agreement.
The unity of the dress is very nice.
The unity of the design is very nice.
The word 'design' or 'composition' is a clearer object for this sense.

3. the number one, or a single thing considered as a complete unit in mathematics o

3.nounC1
Definition

the number one, or a single thing considered as a complete unit in mathematics or counting

Example

Hana pointed to the mark for unity on the number line her teacher had drawn.

On a number line, unity sits between zero and two.

number-line context: unity meaning the integer 1

Common collocations
  • concept of unity
  • unity element
  • the unity of the system
Synonyms
  • one

    the everyday word for the number; use 'one' in all ordinary contexts

  • oneness

    a philosophical term for the quality or state of being a single unit

Usage Note

Primarily a technical term in mathematics and philosophy. In everyday English, speakers almost always say 'one' instead of 'unity'. Distinguish from sense 1 (SOLIDARITY) and sense 2 (HARMONY), which are far more frequent in general use.

Common Mistakes

I have unity apple.
I have one apple.
In everyday contexts, use 'one' instead of 'unity'.
Unity plus two equals three.
One plus two equals three.
In arithmetic, 'one' is standard; 'unity' is restricted to formal mathematical theory.

Word family

  • unite
    verbB2
  • united
    adjectiveB1
  • unify
    verbB2
  • unified
    adjectiveB2
  • unification
    nounC1
  • unit
    nounA2
  • unison
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe a positive state of togetherness, but they differ in what kind of togetherness they highlight. Solidarity stresses active mutual support: groups in solidarity stand by each other during hardship or struggle. Harmony emphasises a peaceful, conflict-free state — things fit together without friction. Cohesion is more technical and structural, often used for groups, teams, or materials where the parts are firmly bonded. For instance, a political party needs solidarity during an election campaign, harmony in its internal debates, and cohesion in its organisational structure. Each word captures a different angle on the broader idea expressed by unity.

solidarityharmonycohesion

Common collocations

Nouns

  • government
  • party
  • rally
  • movement

Adverbs

  • peacefully
  • politically
  • perfectly

Phrases

  • in unity with
  • a sense of unity
  • lack of unity
  • call for unity
  • threat to unity

Prepositions

  • in
  • with
  • among
  • within
  • between

Etymology

LatinAnglo-NormanEnglish

Unity comes from Latin 'unitas', meaning 'oneness' or 'sameness', which in turn comes from 'unus' ('one'). It entered English through Anglo-Norman 'unitie' in the 14th century, initially carrying the sense of being a single undivided whole.