unite

Formsunites, uniting, united

Pluralunites

1. 1
   verbtransitive

   To bring people or things together so they act or exist as one.

   Like separate threads twisted into a single rope.

   The new president hoped to unite a divided nation.

   Marriage unites two families as well as two people.

   Similarunify, join, combine, link, bind

   Oppositedivide, separate, split, disunite

   Note

   Latin ūnus, "one," sits at the root: ūniō meant to make one, and its past participle ūnītus gave English the verb. In this transitive use something must be united, and the object is usually plural or collective: factions, a nation, two families, people from different cultures. In the "come together" meaning the parties join of their own accord. Here an outside agent does the joining.

2. 2
   verbintransitivereciprocal

   To come together and join into a single body or force.

   Like streams flowing together into one river.

   Rival groups united against the common threat.

   When neighbors unite, they can solve big problems together.

   Similarunify, ally, join, combine, merge

   Oppositedivide, separate, split

   Note

   Here the group does the joining itself, with no outside agent, so the verb stands without an object. Its subject is plural or collective: we, rival groups, neighbors. A shared opponent is introduced with against, as in rivals uniting against a common threat. Often the subject unites in order to win or to solve something together.

3. 3
   nounhistoricalUKcountable

   A British gold coin worth twenty shillings, first made during the reign of King James I, carrying a legend marking his aim to join England and Scotland.

   The merchant counted out several unites to settle the debt.

   Occasionally Scots and Irish coins are also found. The gold hoards consist entirely of crown gold unites, half unites and quarter unites from the reigns of James I and Charles I.

   1968, Seaby's coin and medal bulletin, numbers 593-604

   Note

   A coin named for a political hope: its legend announced James I's intention of uniting England and Scotland. The word belongs to coin history and is used as an ordinary count noun, with fractions of its own. Seaby's coin and medal bulletin of 1968 describes gold hoards made up entirely of crown gold unites, half unites and quarter unites from the reigns of James I and Charles I.

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