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The Latin verb haerēre has shown remarkable stick-to-itiveness in influencing the English lexicon, which is fitting for a word that means "to be closely attached; to stick." Among its descendants are adhere (literally meaning "to stick"), adhere’s relative adhesive (a word for sticky substances), inhere (meaning "to belong by nature or habit"), and even hesitate (which implies remaining stuck in place before taking action). In Latin, haerēre teamed up with the prefix co- to form cohaerēre, which means "to stick together." Cohaerēre is the ancestor of cohesive, a word borrowed into English in the early 18th century to describe something that sticks together literally (such as dough or mud) or figuratively (such as a society or sports team).
Examples of cohesive in a Sentence
Joe Guillen, Axios, 5 Feb. 2025
To the notion of needing a ‘cohesive’ wardrobe or not, Mahone feels this also comes down to lifestyle.
—Cierra Black, Essence, 30 Jan. 2025
Michael Hunter The designer draws on her background in architecture, design, and art history in her work, and the firm is often involved in every stage of a project, from architectural planning to finish selections, ensuring that the final product showcases a cohesive vision.
—Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 30 Jan. 2025
Notably, its design aims to decouple visual encoding into distinct pathways, while still maintaining a cohesive structure.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 29 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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cohesive
adjective
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