What does "uniform" mean?
A distinctive outfit that serves to identify members of a group, company, prison inmates, etc.
Uniform
/ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A distinctive outfit that serves to identify members of a group, company, prison inmates, etc.
- Grammar: uniform is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a certain, academic consistency, academy uniform, accordant.
- Useful contrasts: assorted, diverse, eclectic.
- Usage evidence: The school uniform is convenient because it can be worn for both informal and formal occasions.
How to use "uniform"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "uniform" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "uniform" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "uniform" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "uniform" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "uniform" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a certain" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "uniform", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A distinctive outfit that serves to identify members of a group, company, prison inmates, etc.
"The Hooverette [housedress] can be worn as a dress or as an apron. This is the latest in uniforms, madam, according to Vogue."
- 2 clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification wordnet
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of Uniform from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. alt-of
- 4 A uniformed police officer (as opposed to a detective).
"Skeletor held the gun against Speedo’s head, held Speedo between himself and the cops who stood, motionless and futile, where they’d stopped. Robinson, Lindfors, Carter, three uniforms and I watched helpless as Skeletor, dragging Speedy with him, inched out the gate, started backing down the hill."
Verb
- 1 To clothe in a uniform. transitive
"You can't erect an army by uniforming and drilling a few hundred thousand clerks and farmers."
- 2 provide with uniforms wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Unvarying; all the same.
""Chocolate and cream," the standard colours of G.W.R. rolling stock for 21 years, are now being replaced by an all-over utility coating of reddish-brown. This is the third time that a uniform brown has been adopted as the standard livery of G.W.R. carriages."
- 2 Consistent; conforming to one standard.
"The only doubt is, about the manner of their unity; how far Churches are bound to be uniform in their Ceremonies, and what way they ought to take for that purpose."
- 3 with speed of convergence not depending on choice of function argument; as in uniform continuity, uniform convergence
- 4 Composed of a single macromolecular species.
- 5 (of a polyhedron) That is isogonal and whose faces are regular polygons; (of an n-dimensional (n>3) polytope) that is isogonal and whose bounding (n-1)-dimensional facets are uniform polytopes.
Adjective
- 1 not differentiated wordnet
- 2 the same throughout in structure or composition wordnet
- 3 evenly spaced wordnet
- 4 always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The school uniform is convenient because it can be worn for both informal and formal occasions."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "uniform"?
Common synonyms include: a certain, academic consistency, academy uniform, accordant, affirmative, agnate.
How do you use "uniform" in a sentence?
The school uniform is convenient because it can be worn for both informal and formal occasions.
How do you pronounce "uniform"?
Pronounced /ˈjunɪˌfɔɹm/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French uniforme, from Latin uniformis.