cohesive

adjective

co·​he·​sive kō-ˈhē-siv How to pronounce cohesive (audio)
-ziv
: exhibiting or producing cohesion or coherence
a cohesive social unit
cohesive soils
the cohesive property of clay
cohesively adverb
cohesiveness noun

Did you know?

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

Their tribe is a small but cohesive group. Religion can be used as a cohesive social force.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By unifying the data from different safety systems, fleet operators can reduce information overload and create a more cohesive, actionable safety program. David Julian, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 The renovation included beefing up the architectural details to create stronger definitions within the space and a more cohesive scheme. Troy J. McMullen, Architectural Digest, 13 Jan. 2025 But despite these positive developments, the EU is not as cohesive a political entity as the United States. Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs, 13 Jan. 2025 And all three are safe from the episode-two banishment vote, which is part of what seems to be a cohesive strategy on The Traitors’s part to keep the big gamer personalities from getting picked off too early. Joe Reid, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for cohesive 

Word History

Etymology

Latin cohaesus, past participle of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -ive

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cohesive was in 1718

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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 21 Jan. 2025.

Medical Definition

cohesive

adjective
co·​he·​sive kō-ˈhē-siv, -ziv How to pronounce cohesive (audio)
: exhibiting or producing cohesion
cohesively adverb
cohesiveness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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