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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
Deepinder Singh Sethi, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Every season of The White Lotus is built around a theme, but this year’s take on death and spirituality has felt to me less focused and less cohesive.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
Panelists advocated for a more cohesive approach, wherein dealerships work toward consolidating systems under a single, intuitive platform.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Make sure to match the hardware to light fixtures and shower rods for a cohesive look.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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