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 WebPart boxy V-neck vest and part midi skirt, the set’s longline shapes flow together to create a cohesive look.—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2024 Balance unique objects and plants by focusing on a cohesive color palette.—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 4 June 2024 But one underlying factor not to be overlooked that has brought Minnesota to within two wins of becoming the first Professional Women’s Hockey League champion has been the team defense that has forwards, defenders and goaltenders working as one cohesive unit to shut down opponents.—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 23 May 2024 With a roster dominated by underclassmen, the Cavaliers are a cohesive group that plays freely with a ton of confidence.—Glenn Graham, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for cohesive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cohesive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin cohaesus, past participle of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -ive
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