Unitarian

Related to New Latin ūnitārius (from Latin ūnitās (“unity”)) -an. First documented as unitaria religio, in a decree of the Diet of Lécfalva (1600). In English since 1687 [1]

• Rhymes: -ɛəɹiən

Unitarian (plural Unitarians)

1. (now inexact) Alternative letter-case form of unitarian: any Christian who denies the doctrine of the Trinity.
   • 1836, Alexander Fleming, A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Presbytery of Paisley,:

     But since Smith's ( of Norwich ) Bill passed , in 1813 , relieving Unitarians, as a religious sect, from the operation of the old law

   Antonym: Trinitarian

2. A follower of Unitarian Universalism or a member of a Unitarian Universalist Church in North America who adhered to or identifies with the Unitarian part of that church prior to consolidation in 1961.
   • 2020, Jenny Offill, Weather, Granta Books (2021), page 197:

     The Unitarians never kneel. But I want to kneel.

   Synonym: Unitarian Universalist

3. (rare) Alternative letter-case form of unitarian: any monotheist, particularly non-Christian monotheists (Muslims, Jews, etc.) as discussed from a Christian perspective.
4. A member of a political movement advocating a unitary state rather than a federal one, especially the Unitarios of nineteenth century Argentina (known as the Unitarian Party in English).

• Unitarianism

Unitarian (comparative more Unitarian, superlative most Unitarian)

1. Pertaining to Unitarianism.
   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “In which Traps are Laid for a Great Quarry”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     It was no less than whether the psychic movement in Britain was destined to take a Unitarian or a Trinitarian course.