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unit

unit

2.8
A group of people in an organization who have a specific job
  • noun
  • /ˈjuːnɪt/
translation icon : unidad
  • "You just had a call from the intensive care unit at the Memorial," Wendy said.
  • unit heads
  • units and programs
  • responding unit

So they came to our unit looking for this Lieutenant.

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Examples

  • In the intensive care unit, six doctors and 34 nurses are on duty for him.

  • I am part of the Knowledge Exchange Unit at the UK Parliament.

  • So they came to our unit looking for this Lieutenant.

  • The Detective Unit is on the third floor.

  • I was with a special unit called "Shadow Company."

  • Can we be certain that this is the best social unit for raising children?

    Academic text (2011)
  • The group discussed work processes and made recommendations to the unit's shared governance council.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Gentlemen, I suggest we act as a unit... so there will be no question of mistaken reprisals.

  • - Hello, you have reached Los Angeles Municipal Hospital's intensive care unit.

  • Our unit worked together to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Synonyms

team
vsunit
1.0

A group of people who work together to reach a shared goal

is the more general organizational term that also covers teams and formal parts
group
vsunit
1.0

A number of people or things seen as one unit

is the specific word for a subdivision within an organization rather than any collection
squad
vsunit
702 2.4

A small group of people organized to do one job, like in the army or sports

is the inclusive term for any subdivision regardless of small size or informality
corps
vsunit
  • Specialized
529 7.2

A large military group made of two or more divisions and support

is the everyday organizational word used for smaller nonmilitary subdivisions
section
vsunit
389 2.4

A group within a larger organization, like an orchestra or company team

is the general term for any such subdivision within organizations
division
vsunit
347 5.1

A large unit in the army, air force or navy

is the general label for any part of an organization not only huge ones
company
vsunit
329 2.4

A group of people organized to do a specific job, like soldiers or a ship crew

is the general term for any such subdivision inside larger organizations
battalion
vsunit
  • Specialized
150 7.2

A large unit of soldiers made of several companies and led by a senior officer

is the generic organizational word not specific to this military size or structure
platoon
vsunit
119 5.8

A group of people organized to work or fight together

is the broad organizational term not tied to size or specific teams
squadron
vsunit
  • Specialized
114 5.5

A military air unit of several aircraft and their crews

is the general organizational word that applies outside this specific air force size
outfit
vsunit
112 4.8

A group like a company or team that works together

is the neutral organizational term used for formal subdivisions in many contexts
regiment
vsunit
  • Specialized
99 6.2

A large group of soldiers made of several smaller units

is the general term for subdivisions and does not imply this specific size
troop
vsunit
98 3.2

A group of soldiers organized to fight or carry out military tasks

is the broader label that also applies to nonmilitary organizational subdivisions
military unit
vsunit
15 2.8

A group of soldiers that does a specific task

is the neutral label for any subdivision in various organizations
army unit
vsunit
5 2.5

A group of soldiers organized as part of an army, like a platoon or company

is the general organizational term not limited to army contexts
infantry unit
vsunit
3 4.3

A group of soldiers who fight on foot

is the neutral word for any departmental subdivision not this combat type
2 3.1

A unit of soldiers organized to do a specific job for the armed forces

is the broad organizational label that applies beyond armed forces
air unit
vsunit
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A group in an air force that uses aircraft for missions

is the wider organizational term used for many non airborne subdivisions
collectivity
vsunit
1 6.6

A group of people who act together for a shared purpose

is the neutral term for any organizational subdivision not focused on collective identity
naval unit
vsunit
1 4.2

A ship or group of ships that a navy uses for military work

is the broad organizational label used across many fields beyond navies
3.6

A part of an organization that manages specific tasks and services

is broader covering any part of an organization not only administrative ones

Antonyms

2.3

A single person or animal regarded separately from a group

Compounds

21 1.8

A group of parents and their children who live together

intensive care unit
  • Specialized
18 3.1

A hospital area where very sick patients get constant care and monitoring

15 2.8

A group of soldiers that does a specific task

5 2.5

A group of soldiers organized as part of an army, like a platoon or company

parental unit
  • Informal
3 6.8

A joking, informal word people use for a parent or guardian

A group of soldiers who fight on foot

power unit
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A standard measure of electric power, like the watt

unit of measurement
  • Specialized
3 3.2

A fixed amount used as a standard to measure length, weight, or volume

2 4.7

A hospital area where very small or sick newborns get constant medical care

unit cost
  • Specialized
2 3.3

The amount of money needed to make, store, and sell one item

1 4.2

Main chip in a computer that does most of the work and controls other parts

air unit
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A group in an air force that uses aircraft for missions

artillery unit
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A military group that uses large guns to fire at enemy targets

An area with its own government and rules, like a country or city

astronomical unit
  • Specialized
1 6.5

The average distance between the Earth and the Sun, about 150 million kilometers

unit of time
  • Specialized
1 1.6

A standard amount of time used to measure how long something lasts like a second or minute

coronary care unit
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A hospital department that gives close care to people with serious heart problems

energy unit
  • Specialized
1 3.0

A way to measure energy, like a calorie or joule

metric unit
  • Specialized
1 2.4

A unit of measurement used in the metric system, like a meter or kilogram

monetary unit
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A standard kind of money used in a country to measure value, like a dollar or yen

A group of civilians organized and trained like soldiers to support or replace the army

1 2.8

A large piece of furniture put against a wall to store or show things

British thermal unit
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A unit of heat equal to the heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit

effects unit
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A device that changes the sound of an instrument, like adding reverb or distortion

force unit
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A measure for how strong a push or pull is, like the newton

liquid unit
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A measure for how much liquid there is, like a litre

heat unit
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A measure of heat energy like a calorie or BTU

1 4.2

A ship or group of ships that a navy uses for military work

1 1.3

A measure that shows an amount of time, like a second or minute

SI unit
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A standard unit used worldwide in science and industry like the meter or kilogram

7.1

The energy used by a 1,000-watt machine running for one hour

booster unit
  • Specialized
5.8

The first part of a rocket that gives a strong push at launch

The currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, called the convertible mark

7.6

A unit for measuring how bright a light is, using a candle as the standard

capacity unit
  • Specialized
3.9

A unit for measuring how much liquid a container holds, like a liter or a gallon

capacity unit
  • Specialized
4.2

An amount of resources a plan gives for services like storage or computer power

capacitance unit
  • Specialized
6.8

A unit that measures how much electric charge a part can store, like the farad

A unit of money that people use in China, like the yuan

The cost for each item or unit used

charge unit
  • Specialized
5.6

A standard amount used to measure electric charge, like the coulomb

9.9

A group of rock layers formed during the same time period

computer memory unit
  • Specialized
3.5

A standard size used to measure computer memory, like a byte or kilobyte

conductance unit
  • Specialized
6.9

A unit for measuring how well a material carries electric current, for example the siemens

cubage unit
  • Specialized
6.5

A unit for measuring how much space something takes up, like a liter or cubic meter

cubature unit
  • Specialized
9.3

A measure used to show how much space something holds

A unit used to measure how much space something has, like a cubic metre or cubic centimetre

displacement unit
  • Specialized
7.4

A measure used to show how much space something takes, for example litres or cubic metres

dry unit
  • Specialized
7.0

A unit for measuring dry goods like grain or fruit

Money used in the Netherlands before the euro

elastance unit
  • Specialized
9.9

A unit used to measure how a part resists storing electric charge, defined as one divided by capacitance

electromagnetic unit
  • Specialized
7.4

A unit used to measure electric or magnetic strength

electrostatic unit
  • Specialized
8.3

A unit for measuring electric charge used in an older measurement system

effects unit
  • Jargon
4.9

A team in film and TV that makes effects on set like explosions and computer images

absorption unit
  • Specialized
7.7

A unit that shows how much light a substance absorbs

8.3

Someone or something that is very large and impressive, often as a joke

acceleration unit
  • Specialized
5.1

A unit that measures how quickly something gets faster

A part of an organization that manages specific tasks and services

administrative unit
  • Specialized
4.9

A virtual group that holds users or devices so administrators can manage permissions

angstrom unit
  • Specialized
7.0

A very small unit of length equal to one ten-billionth of a meter used for light wavelengths and atoms

angular unit
  • Specialized
5.8

A unit for measuring angles, like a degree or a radian

allocation unit
  • Specialized
7.4

A block of disk space reserved for one file, the smallest amount a file can use

astronomy unit
  • Specialized
5.7

A unit of length equal to the average distance from Earth to the Sun

9.9

A system of weight used long ago in pharmacies to measure medicine

2.6

A standard measure of the size of a flat area, like square meters

atomic mass unit
  • Specialized
3.9

A small unit for mass used to measure atoms and molecules

avoirdupois unit
  • Specialized
9.5

A unit of weight like a pound or ounce used in Britain and the United States

explosive unit
  • Specialized
7.4

A unit that measures how strong an explosion is

Money used in the Falkland Islands that has the same value as the British pound

field strength unit
  • Specialized
7.3

A way to measure how strong a magnetic field is, for example tesla

flux density unit
  • Specialized
8.2

A measure of how much magnetic or electric field passes through an area, for example the tesla

flux unit
  • Specialized
7.4

A unit that measures how much magnetic field passes through an area

force per unit area
  • Specialized
4.9

How hard a force pushes on each small part of a surface

7.1

A small coin or unit worth one hundredth of the main unit of money

How Big

task force
153 3.3
unit
2.8
team
1.0
squad
702 2.4
detail
256 6.6
to pair
115 2.2
individual
2.3

Surface Forms

unit singular
units plural

Etymology

The word unit comes from the Latin unus 'one' and is like the words unite and unity. That's why a military or company unit is a group of people who work 'as one' inside a bigger organization.