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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
Nbc News,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
Instead, the panels create one seamless line, connecting the room’s edges in a cohesive stroke of pattern and texture.
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Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
25 June 2026
Admissions officers conduct a holistic review, expecting a student's major choice to be a cohesive continuation of their academic and extracurricular story, supported by their transcript and essays.
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Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Use the matching shams with the same color as the quilt facing out for a cohesive design, or mix and match the shams and quilt for a layered look with dimension.
—
Caley Sturgill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
