disunity

American  

[dis-yoo-ni-tee] / dɪsˈyu nɪ ti /

noun

plural

disunities

1. lack of unity or accord.

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disunity British  

/ dɪsˈjuːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. dissension or disagreement

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Etymology

Origin of disunity

First recorded in 1625–35; dis- ¹ + unity

Explanation

Disunity is a state of disagreement and conflict in a group of people. If you and your siblings are bickering loudly about who gets to sit in the front seat of the car, that's a good example of disunity. When people experience disunity, they just can't get along — in other words, they're not united. Unity, "the state of being one," comes from the Latin unitatem, "oneness, sameness, or agreement." Adding the prefix dis-, "not, or lack of," gives you the exact opposite. The disunity of a country can be seen in bitter political rhetoric, and your book group shows disunity when the members argue incessantly over what to read next.

Example Sentences

He added that if he and Crofts had known the song “was going to cause such disunity, we might have thought twice about doing it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

For many Russians, disagreement signals not free thought but chaotic disunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

"At any time in history there will always be some disunity under the surface," said Southgate.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Our efforts to find a comfortable medium between consensus and compromise — to forge unity from disunity — are guided in principle by majority rule: the many over the few.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2024

China’s frequent unity and Europe’s perpetual disunity both have a long history.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• discord
• dissension
• divergence