unison

unison

UK[ˈjuːnɪs(ə)n]US[ˈjuːnɪsən]
n

a situation in which people or things do or think the same thing

n

the playing or singing of musical notes at the same pitch by different instruments or voices

Morpheme Breakdown

uni
son
uni

one

son

sound

Etymology

the word 'unison' entered english in the late middle english period, borrowed from the old french 'unison', which itself derived from the late latin 'unisonus', meaning 'having one sound'. this latin term is a compound of 'unus' (one) and 'sonus' (sound). the core logic of the word has remained remarkably consistent from its latin origins to its modern usage, evolving from the literal concept of a single, identical sound produced by multiple sources to encompass the broader figurative sense of perfect agreement or harmony in action or thought.

Analysis

Structure: uni (one) + son (sound) 'uni' is from Latin 'unus', meaning 'one', and functions as a combining form denoting oneness or unity. 'son' is from Latin 'sonus', meaning 'sound', and functions as a root indicating sound or tone.

Examples

the committee acted in perfect unison on the decision.

the choir sang the final chord in unison.

the dancers moved in unison with the rhythm of the music.