unison

[ yoo-nuh-suhn, -zuhn ]
See synonyms for unison on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. coincidence in pitch of two or more musical tones, voices, etc.

  2. the musical interval of a perfect prime.

  1. the performance of musical parts at the same pitch or at the octave.

  2. a sounding together in octaves, especially of male and female voices or of higher and lower instruments of the same class.

  3. a process in which all elements behave in the same way at the same time; simultaneous or synchronous parallel action: to march in unison.

Idioms about unison

  1. in unison, in perfect accord; corresponding exactly: My feelings on the subject are in unison with yours.

Origin of unison

1
1565–75; <Medieval Latin ūnisonus of a single sound, equivalent to Latin ūni-uni- + sonus sound

Other words from unison

  • non·u·ni·son, noun

Words Nearby unison

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unison in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for unison (1 of 2)

unison

/ (ˈjuːnɪsən, -zən) /


noun
  1. music

    • the interval between two sounds of identical pitch

    • (modifier) played or sung at the same pitch: unison singing

  2. complete agreement; harmony (esp in the phrase in unison)

Origin of unison

1
C16: from Late Latin ūnisonus, from uni- + sonus sound

Derived forms of unison

  • unisonous, unisonal or unisonant, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for UNISON (2 of 2)

UNISON

/ (ˈjuːnɪsən) /


noun
  1. (in Britain) a trade union representing local government, health care, and other workers: formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of COHSE, NALGO, and NUPE

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for unison

unison

Playing or singing the same musical notes, or notes separated from each other by one or several octaves. Musicians who perform in unison are not playing or singing chords.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.