Meaning of “unit” in the English Dictionary

English
Contents

"unit" in English

See all translations

unitnoun

uk ​ /ˈjuː.nɪt/ us ​ /ˈjuː.nɪt/

unit noun (SEPARATE PART)

B1 [ C ] a single thing or a separate part of something larger:

Each unit of the text book focuses on a different grammar point.
The first year of the course is divided into four units.
The company plans to split into two or three units.

› [ C ] a piece of furniture or equipment that is intended to be fitted as a part of a set of similar or matching pieces:

kitchen/shelf/sink units

› [ C ] a small machine or part of a machine that has a particular purpose:

the central processing unit of a computer
a waste-disposal unit

› [ C ] specialized business a single complete product of the type that a business sells

› [ C ] US a single apartment in a bigger building:

The old house has been divided up into three rental units.
a public housing unit

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

unit noun (PEOPLE)

C1 [ C, + sing/pl verb ] a group of people living or working together, especially for a particular purpose:

the traditional family unit
Both soldiers spent two weeks in training before being allowed to rejoin their unit (= the particular part of the army to which they belonged).
Dr Nussbaum is director of the Civil Liberties Research Unit at King's College, London.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

unit noun (MEASUREMENT)

› [ C ] a standard measure that is used to express amounts:

A centimetre is a unit of length.
The standard unit of currency in the US is the dollar.

› UK [ C ] a standard measure of alcohol:

Experts say that women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

unit noun (SINGLE NUMBER)

› [ C ] any whole number less than ten:

Tens go in the left-hand column and units in the right.

› specialized mathematics [ C ] the number 1

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

(Definition of “unit” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"unit" in American English

See all translations

unitnoun [ C ]

us ​ /ˈju·nɪt/

unit noun [ C ] (SEPARATE PART)

› a single item or a separate part of something larger:

The first year of the course is divided into four units.
This apartment building has 60 units (= separate apartments).

› A unit is also a small machine or part of a machine that has a particular purpose:

the central processing unit of a computer

› A unit is also a piece of furniture or equipment used as part of a set of similar or matching pieces:

a unit of a bookcase

unit noun [ C ] (PEOPLE)

› a group of people living or working together, esp. for a particular purpose:

a military unit
He’s the surgeon in charge of the burn unit at the hospital.

unit noun [ C ] (MEASUREMENT)

› a standard measure used to express amounts:

An inch is a unit of length.
The dollar is the standard unit of currency in the US.

(Definition of “unit” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"unit" in Business English

See all translations

unitnoun [ C ]

uk ​ /ˈjuːnɪt/ us ​

› a single thing or separate part of something larger:

The training course is divided into five units, and takes place over five days.

› WORKPLACE a particular type of business or department within a larger organization:

Shares in the pharmaceutical company shot up to 2575p after the sale of its chemicals unit.
Cellphone companies are still on the rise, but most of them are units of the traditional telcos.
a business/operating unit

› FINANCE a single share or bond in a unit trust or mutual fund:

Your investment purchases units that are linked to the Performance Fund.

› PROPERTY an individual building or house:

industrial/office units
a housing/residential unit

› a piece of machinery or equipment designed to be used for a particular purpose:

an air-conditioning unit
kitchen/shelving/wall-mounted units

› PRODUCTION a single product considered as part of the total number of products that a company manufactures or sells:

Last year the company cut domestic production to 3.1 million units.

› MEASURES a measurement that is used as a standard to express amounts:

Women are advised not to consume more than 14 units of alcohol a week.
a unit of energy/measurement

See also

accumulation unit
bargaining unit
central processing unit
decision-making unit
monetary unit
multiunit
stock-keeping unit
storage unit
strategic business unit

(Definition of “unit” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of “unit”
 
Need a translator?

Translator tool

Get a quick, free translation!

What is the pronunciation of unit?
Browse