unitary

adjective

uni·​tary ˈyü-nə-ˌter-ē 

1

a

: of or relating to a unit

b

: based on or characterized by unity or units

2

: having the character of a unit : undivided, whole

unitarily

ˌyü-nə-ˈter-ə-lē 

adverb

Examples of unitary in a Sentence

the formation of a unitary state

Recent Examples on the Web

That's because, under Trump's version of the unitary executive theory, Congress has no power to mandate anything about the president's treatment of federal executive branch employees who make up virtually all of the 2 million federal employees. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Where a Storm Shadow boasts a tandem warhead—one to open a gap in the target, a second to explode inside—the A-22 appears to carry a simpler unitary warhead. —David Axe, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

From the Soviet Union’s earliest years, Moscow viewed warfare and political action, including diplomacy, as unitary. —Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024

Even if occupied Palestinian lands aren’t formally annexed, a unitary Israeli state from the river to the sea is all but inevitable. —Robert Grenier, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

unitary

adjective

uni·​tary ˈyü-nə-ˌter-ē 

1

a

: of or relating to a unit

b

: based on or marked by unity or units

2

: having the character of a unit : whole

Legal Definition

unitary

adjective

uni·​tary ˈyü-nə-ˌter-ē 

1

: having the character of a single thing that is a constituent of a whole

specifically : of, relating to, or being a business with subsidiaries in other states or nations that has its state income tax figured by including the subsidiaries' income, determining the portion of that income attributable to activities within the state, and taxing that percentage

a unitary business operating throughout the U.S.

imposed a unitary tax on a multinational corporation

2

: marked by unity : not dual or segregated : integrated sense 3

a unitary school district

unitariness noun