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unionist

American  
[yoon-yuh-nist] / ˈyun yə nɪst /

noun

  1. a person whose activities or beliefs are characterized by unionism.

  2. a member of a trade union.

  3. (initial capital letter) a supporter of the federal union of the United States of America, especially during the Civil War.

  4. British Politics. (formerly) an upholder of the legislative union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Unionist 1 British  
/ ˈjuːnjənɪst /

noun

  1. (sometimes not capital)

    1. (before 1920) a supporter of the union of all Ireland and Great Britain

    2. (since 1920) a supporter of union between Britain and Northern Ireland

  2. a supporter of the US federal Union, esp during the Civil War

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, resembling, or relating to Unionists

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
unionist 2 British  
/ ˈjuːnjənɪst /

noun

  1. a supporter or advocate of unionism or union

  2. a member of a trade union

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to union or unionism, esp trade unionism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • prounionist adjective
  • unionistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of unionist

First recorded in 1790–1800; union + -ist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The workers just don't trust their employers anymore," said Rajesh Kumar, a Delhi-based trade unionist.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Next he directed the National League’s fight against the Players’ League, a short-lived unionist outfit that arose in 1890 after a dispute over compensation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The statement added that should the party fail to field candidates on the regional list it would allow unionist parties, including Reform, "an easy ride" into parliament.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Chrysostomos Pavlidis, a farmers' trade unionist from Grevena in northern Greece, said his income is over 60 percent down from last year.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

The rumor in the village was that before he joined the Force and grew his mustache, he was a trade unionist.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.