English Lexicon

Unitary Government

/juːˈnɪtəri ˈɡʌvənmənt/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #15000 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A system of government in which power is concentrated in a central authority, with little or no power given to subnational entities.

    "In a unitary government, local governments operate under the authority of the central government."
  2. 2

    A political system where the central government holds supreme power over all political subdivisions.

    "Countries like France and Japan exemplify unitary governments where regional authorities have limited autonomy."

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Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'unitary' derives from the Latin 'unitarius', meaning 'one' or 'single', while 'government' comes from the Old French 'governer', which has roots in the Greek 'kybernan', meaning 'to steer' or 'to direct'. The concept evolved in the context of political science to describe a centralized form of governance.

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