Reunifying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of bringing together parts or entities that were previously separated or divided
2. A process of restoring unity among groups, organizations, or individuals that have been apart
3. The endeavor to combine or integrate elements into a cohesive whole after a period of disconnection

Etymology: "Reunifying" is simply the present participle of "reunify," so its history lies in the verb it comes from. "Unify" entered English in the early 1600s, borrowed from the Late Latin "unificare," a combination of Latin "unus" ("one") and "facere" ("to make"). Its literal sense is therefore "to make one," which is still visible in the modern verb. The prefix "re-" ("again, back") was attached to "unify" later, producing "reunify" in the 19th century. The sense of restoring something that had been divided, as in the political reunification of territories, drives much of its use. Because "reunify" inherits the root meaning of "unify," the participle "reunifying" carries the sense of repeatedly or ongoing making-one-again.

Synonyms: reuniting, merging