coalesce

verb

co·​a·​lesce ˌkō-ə-ˈles 

coalesced; coalescing

intransitive verb

1

: to grow together

The edges of the wound coalesced.

2

a

: to unite into a whole : fuse

separate townships have coalesced into a single, sprawling colony

—Donald Gould

b

: to unite for a common end : join forces

people with different points of view coalesce into opposing factions

—I. L. Horowitz

3

: to arise from the combination of distinct elements

an organized and a popular resistance immediately coalesced

—C. C. Menges

transitive verb

: to cause to unite

sometimes a book coalesces a public into a mass market

—Walter Meade

coalescence

ˌkō-ə-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s 

noun

coalescent

ˌkō-ə-ˈle-sᵊnt 

adjective

Did you know?

The meaning of many English words equals the sum of their parts, and coalesce is a fitting example. The word unites the prefix co- (“together”) and the Latin verb alescere, meaning “to grow.” Coalesce is one of a number of English verbs (along with mix, commingle, merge, and amalgamate) that refer to the act of combining parts into a whole. In particular, coalesce usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit, such as a political ideology, a fan-following, or (perish the thought) a Portuguese man-of-war, the body of which includes three types of zooids.

Synonyms

• associate
• combine
• conjoin
• conjugate
• connect
• couple
• fuse
• interfuse
• join
• link (up)
• marry
• unify
• unite

Choose the Right Synonym for coalesce

mix, mingle, commingle, blend, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, fuse mean to combine into a more or less uniform whole.

mix may or may not imply loss of each element's identity.

mix the salad greens

mix a drink

mingle usually suggests that the elements are still somewhat distinguishable or separately active.

fear mingled with anticipation in my mind

commingle implies a closer or more thorough mingling.

a sense of duty commingled with a fierce pride drove her

blend implies that the elements as such disappear in the resulting mixture.

blended several teas to create a balanced flavor

merge suggests a combining in which one or more elements are lost in the whole.

in his mind reality and fantasy merged

coalesce implies an affinity in the merging elements and usually a resulting organic unity.

telling details that coalesce into a striking portrait

amalgamate implies the forming of a close union without complete loss of individual identities.

refugees who were readily amalgamated into the community

fuse stresses oneness and indissolubility of the resulting product.

a building in which modernism and classicism are fused

Examples of coalesce in a Sentence

a group of young reformers who gradually coalesced into a political movement

The ice masses coalesced into a glacier over time.

Recent Examples on the Web

There are many unpleasant things to not miss about the monoculture of our increasingly distant past — but coalescing around a unified interest, and the feeling of togetherness arising from that act, is not one of them. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024

Now, these experiences coalesce in Bloom’s latest venture as X Games CEO, at a time when the brand is preparing for massive growth. —Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Here, at the center of the coalescing galaxies, the two black holes eat material and fling it away, carving out a gap. —Jonathan O’Callaghan, WIRED, 1 Dec. 2024

While that’s coalescing, toast a few thick slices of bread, and butter the hell out of them. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin coalescere, from co- + alescere to grow — more at old

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

coalesce

verb

co·​alesce

ˌkō-ə-ˈles

coalesced; coalescing

1

: to grow together

the ends of the broken bones coalesced

2

: to unite into a whole : fuse

coalescence

-ˈles-ᵊn(t)s

noun

Medical Definition

coalesce

intransitive verb

co·​alesce ˌkō-ə-ˈles 

coalesced; coalescing

: to grow together

coalescence

-ˈles-ᵊn(t)s 

noun