Standard Lemma guide

unitary

adj · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈjuːnɪt(ə)ɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: Y UW1 N IH0 T EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having the quality of oneness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

That concentrates power in a single body, rather than sharing it with more local bodies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government

Examples

  • a unitary authority
  • a unitary state

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

That contains an identity element.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Whose inverse is equal to its adjoint.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: linear-algebra, mathematical-analysis, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A unitary council.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A unitary matrix or operator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • 1980, Michael Reed, Barry Simon, Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics, Volume 1: Functional Analysis, Revised and Expanded Edition page 243, Since ergodicity and mixing are expressible in terms of the induced Koopman unitaries they are not additional invariants.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is held by one central authority

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a unitary as opposed to a federal form of government

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: federal

8

adjective

Meaning 8

of or pertaining to or involving the use of units

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a unitary method was applied
  • established a unitary distance on which to base subsequent calculations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective

Meaning 9

relating to or characterized by or aiming toward unity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the unitary principles of nationalism
  • a unitary movement in politics

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

having the indivisible character of a unit

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a unitary action
  • spoke with one voice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: one(a)

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English unit Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusder. Middle English -arie English -ary English unitary From unit + -ary.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: единен (edinen) — having the quality of oneness
  • Bulgarian: неделим (nedelim) — having the quality of oneness
  • Catalan: unitari — having the quality of oneness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 單一的 /单一的 (dānyī de) — having the quality of oneness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一元的 (yīyuán de) — having the quality of oneness
  • Czech: jednotkový — having the quality of oneness
  • Finnish: yhtenäinen — having the quality of oneness
  • French: unitaire — having the quality of oneness
  • Hebrew: יחידאי (yekhidaí) — having the quality of oneness
  • Hebrew: מאוחד (meukhád) — having the quality of oneness
  • Irish: aonadach — having the quality of oneness
  • Japanese: ユニタリー (yunitarī) — having the quality of oneness
  • Portuguese: unitário — having the quality of oneness
  • Russian: едини́чный (jediníčnyj) — having the quality of oneness
  • Spanish: unitario — having the quality of oneness
  • Bulgarian: едноличен (ednoličen) — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Catalan: unitari — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Finnish: unitaarinen — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • French: unitaire — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Hebrew: מואחד (muakhád) — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Irish: aonadach — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Italian: unitario — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Kazakh: бiртұтас (birtūtas) — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Kazakh: унитарлық (unitarlyq) — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Portuguese: unitário — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Romanian: unitar — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Russian: еди́ный (jedínyj) — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Spanish: unitario — government: that concentrates power into a single body
  • Bulgarian: унитарен (unitaren) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Chinese Mandarin: 酉 (yǒu) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幺正 (yāozhèng) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Finnish: unitaarinen — mathematics: having an identity element
  • German: unitär — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Hebrew: אוניטרי (unitári) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Irish: aonadach — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Japanese: ユニタリ (yunitari) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Kazakh: бiртұтас (birtūtas) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Kazakh: унитарлық (unitarlyq) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Korean: 유니터리 (yuniteori) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Portuguese: unitário — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Russian: унита́рный (unitárnyj) — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Spanish: unitario — mathematics: having an identity element
  • Bulgarian: ортогонален (ortogonalen) — mathematics: that has an inverse equal to its adjoint
  • Bulgarian: унитарен (unitaren) — mathematics: that has an inverse equal to its adjoint
Real reading context

unitary in complete knowledge articles