an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole, a device that has a specified function, especially one forming part of a complex mechanism, a quantity chosen as a standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed

one's marching orders, in one piece, pull one's weight

unit of measurement, combat unit, housing unit

Formal and Informal Expressions of unit

In different contexts, you can replace 'unit' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'module, component' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'thing, part' is a commonplace synonym.

unit: Explore its Definition & Usage

unit Definition

1an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole
2a device that has a specified function, especially one forming part of a complex mechanism
3a quantity chosen as a standard in terms of which other quantities may be expressed

Using unit: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "unit" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The apartment complex consists of several units.
Example
The engine is made up of several smaller units.
Example
The currency of the country is based on the monetary unit of the dollar.
Example
The company sold over a million units of the product last year.

unit Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for unit

Antonyms for unit

Idioms Using unit

one's marching orders
instructions to leave or to do something
Example
After the incident, the employee was given his marching orders and asked to leave the company.
in one piece
undamaged or unharmed
Example
Despite the accident, everyone arrived at their destination in one piece.
pull one's weight
to do one's fair share of work
Example
Everyone on the team needs to pull their weight if we want to finish the project on time.

Phrases with unit

unit of measurement
a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same physical quantity
Example
The meter is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
combat unit
a military unit composed of soldiers trained for fighting on the ground
Example
The combat unit was deployed to the front lines.
housing unit
a single dwelling place, such as an apartment or house, that is used or intended to be used as a separate living quarters
Example
The housing unit was spacious and well-maintained.

Origins of unit

from Latin 'unitas', meaning 'oneness'

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Summary: unit in Brief

A 'unit' [ˈjuːnɪt] is an individual thing or person that can form a component of a larger whole. It can also refer to a device with a specific function or a standard quantity used for measurement. Examples include 'The apartment complex consists of several units.' and 'The currency of the country is based on the monetary unit of the dollar.' Idioms like 'in one piece' denote being undamaged, while 'pull one's weight' means doing one's fair share of work.