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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
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Feb. 2026
Reimold suggests starting with a cohesive theme such as pastel colors, favorite characters or springtime activities, to make the basket feel more intentional and personalized.
—Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
That could give Beach Read a more cohesive feel than adaptations where writing and directing duties are split.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2026
Living in a single country, financial systems, schedules and expectations are generally cohesive.
—Felysha Walker, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
