disunite

D2I1S1U1N1I1T1E1
UK/dɪsjuːˈnaɪt/

verb

To cause disagreement or alienation among or within.

Similar
disassociatedissociatedivorcedisjointseparatedividepart
OriginEnglish unite ← Middle English uniten ← Latin ūnītu →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

verbdisunite (third-person singular simple present disunites, present participle disuniting, simple past and past participle disunited)

present singular third person disunites · participle present disuniting · participle past disunited · past disunited

  1. transitiveTo cause disagreement or alienation among or within.

    Secrets disunite a family.

    1863, Charles Reade, chapter 44, in Hard Cash
    1 more example

    If they cannot disunite them by domestic broils, then they engage their neighbours against them.

    1516, Sir Thomas More, “Of Their Military Discipline”, in Utopia
  2. transitiveTo separate, sever, or split.

    I have discovered how to disunite that force and that particle.

    1899, Robert Barr, chapter 16, in Jennie Baxter, Journalist
  3. intransitiveTo disintegrate; to come apart.

    You cannot bind me more to you, my lord. Farewell till we renew... I trust, renew A converse ne'er to disunite again.

    1843, Robert Browning, A Blot In The 'Scutcheon, act I

Synonyms & antonyms

verbpart; cease or break association with

Similar
disassociatedissociatedivorcedisjoint
Broader
separatepartsplit up

verbforce, take, or pull apart

Similar
separatedividepart
Broader
movedisplace
Also see
atomizedisassociatedisjoindisjointdissociatedividedivorcepartseparate

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Old Frenchdes-
  7. Latindis-
  8. Middle Englishdis-
  9. Englishdis-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*ís?
  11. Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
  12. Proto-Italic*oinos
  13. Old Latinoinos
  14. Latinūnus
  15. Latinūniō
  16. Latinūnītu
  17. Middle Englishuniten
  18. Englishunite
  19. Englishdisunite

From dis- + unite.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian разделям, разединявам
  • разделям (razdeljam)separate, sever, or split
  • разединявам (razedinjavam)separate, sever, or split
Dutch verdeeldheid zaaien onder, uit elkaar spelen
  • verdeeldheid zaaien ondercause disagreement or alienation among or within
  • uit elkaar spelencause disagreement or alienation among or within
  • uiteenvallendisintegrate; come apart
Finnish erottaa
  • erottaaseparate, sever, or split
Latin disiungō, disiungō
  • disiungōcause disagreement or alienation among or within
  • disiungōseparate, sever, or split

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with disunite

sitecopyrightrightnightlightwritemightquiteflightfightheightdespitetonightbrightsightovernightwrightknightinvitelitebyteslightfinitecite
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

disunite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disunite

MLA

“disunite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disunite. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disunite,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disunite.

Source: disunite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.