coherence

noun

co·​her·​ence kō-ˈhir-ən(t)s  -ˈher- 

1

: the quality or state of cohering: such as

a

: systematic or logical connection or consistency

The essay as a whole lacks coherence.

b

: integration of diverse elements, relationships, or values

"The various parts of this house—discrete in color, in shape, in placement—join together with remarkable coherence."

—Paul Goldberger

2

: the property of being coherent

a plan that lacks coherence

Synonyms

• balance
• concinnity
• consonance
• consonancy
• harmony
• orchestration
• proportion
• symmetry
• symphony
• unity

Examples of coherence in a Sentence

the house has been expanded and remodeled so many times that now it's a jumbled mess that lacks coherence

Recent Examples on the Web

End of carousel Even by the show’s wackadoo standards, Des McAnuff’s alt-futuristic revival, which just opened on Broadway after playing at Chicago’s Goodman Theater in the summer, has a casual relationship with coherence. —Elisabeth Vincentelli, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024

His quartets exhibit an extraordinary degree of motivic coherence, their structures often extrapolated from a core motto of five or six notes. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

coher(ent) + -ence, after Latin cohaerentia

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1