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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
John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2026
Paul Heyman’s stable doesn’t feel at all like a cohesive unit.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The game seamlessly strings together disparate incarnations of Batman into a cohesive experience that feels surprisingly fresh.
—Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 22 May 2026
Personal style certainly matters, but designers say the most polished front yards feel intentional, cohesive, and connected to the home's architecture—not overcrowded with décor or other competing elements.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 May 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 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
