Legal Definitions - Unanimous

Unanimous describes a situation where every single person or party involved in a decision, vote, or agreement is in complete accord. There are no dissenting opinions or votes; everyone agrees on the same outcome or position.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a criminal trial where the jury must decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty. If, after deliberation, all twelve jurors agree on the same verdict – for instance, that the defendant is guilty – then the jury has reached a unanimous verdict. This means there was no disagreement among any of the jurors regarding the outcome.

• Consider a company's board of directors meeting to approve a major new business strategy. If every single member of the board, without exception, votes in favor of the proposal, then the board's decision to adopt the strategy is considered unanimous. No director expressed any opposition or abstained from the vote.

• In a neighborhood homeowners' association, residents might hold a vote on whether to fund a new community garden. If every homeowner who casts a ballot votes "yes" to approve the funding, the decision to build the garden is unanimous. This indicates complete agreement among all participating members.