Dunité

Dunité is not a standard standalone term in English. It is commonly seen as the contracted form of the French noun unité in phrases such as d’unité, meaning “of unity” or “per unit.” The base word unité has several related meanings in French.

In its core sense, unité denotes unity or wholeness: the state of being one, or the solidarity of a group, nation, or system. In science, commerce, and daily life, une unité refers to a standard quantity used for counting or measuring, such as a unit of length, weight, or currency. Phrases like prix à l’unité (price per unit) or valeur d’unité (unit value) are common.

In organizational and military contexts, une unité designates a subdivision within a larger structure, for example a platoon, a hospital unit, or an administrative unit. The concept also appears in philosophy and aesthetics as a principle of coherence and integration in a work or system.

Etymology: unité derives from Latin unitas; the diaeresis over the i in unité marks the vowel, and the contracted form d’unité is formed with the preposition de before a vowel.

See also: Unit, Unité (French), Unity, Unit of measurement.