Uniform

How to spell uniform

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce uniform

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does uniform mean?

1. nounA distinctive set of clothing worn by members of an organisation, such as a school, police force, or army.
2. adjectiveRemaining the same in all cases and at all times; unvarying.

Uniform in a sentence

• noun

  The new recruit collected his uniform from the supply room.

• adjective

  The factory keeps the oven at a uniform temperature throughout the day.

• noun

  The school requires every pupil to wear a navy uniform.

• adjective

  The survey applied a uniform standard to every applicant.

Where does uniform come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin uniformis, meaning 'having only one form or shape', built from unus, meaning 'one', and forma, meaning 'shape' or 'form'. It entered English in the 1500s as an adjective describing something that stays the same throughout, without variation. The familiar clothing sense arrived a little later, in the 1700s, borrowed by way of French uniforme, from the idea that soldiers and officials should all be dressed in one identical form. The same unus root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'unite', 'unit', and 'unique', and that shared 'one-ness' is the thread running through every meaning. The spelling is mercifully regular: 'uni' for one, then plain 'form', with no hidden letters to trip the writer.

How the word is built

• uni- (one)
• form (shape, form)