adhesive

1 of 2

adjective

ad·​he·​sive ad-ˈhē-siv  -ziv 

əd-

1

: tending to remain in association or memory

2

: tending to adhere or cause adherence

3

: prepared for adhering

4

medical : characterized by the formation of new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process

adhesive inflammations

adhesively adverb

adhesiveness noun

adhesive

2 of 2

noun

1

: an adhesive substance (such as glue or cement)

2

: a postage stamp with a gummed back

Synonyms

Adjective

• sticky
• adherent

Noun

• glue

Examples of adhesive in a Sentence

Adjective

Cover the cut with an adhesive bandage.

walked barefoot through adhesive, clayey mud

Noun

You'll need a strong adhesive to attach the boards.

prefers postage stamps coated with adhesive so that she doesn't have to do any licking

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The detachment of the door belt molding trim is caused by the insufficient application of the adhesive layer between the door belt molding face plate and base of the molding by the supplier, according to the recall report. —James Powel, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025

Besides this, there’s also the simple fact that there doesn’t appear to be much correlation between how motion sickness actually works (a disconnect between what your eyes see and what your inner ear feels), and applying an adhesive bandage to the belly button. —Larissa Runkle, Parents, 31 July 2025

Noun

Bonding panels together rather than welding them makes controlling the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels much easier as the adhesives absorb vibrations, while the stiffness provides much more control in terms of lateral movement. —Alex Kalogiannis, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2025

The adhesive didn’t budge throughout extended wear on a hot night. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin adhaesīvus, from Latin adhaesus (past participle of adhaerēre "to adhere") + -īvus -ive

Noun

derivative of adhesive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing adhesive

• adhesive binding
• adhesive tape
• self-adhesive

Rhymes for adhesive

• cohesive

Kids Definition

adhesive

1 of 2 adjective

ad·​he·​sive ad-ˈhē-siv 

əd-,

-ziv

: tending to adhere : prepared for adhering

adhesiveness noun

adhesive

2 of 2 noun

: an adhesive substance (as glue or cement)

Medical Definition

adhesive

1 of 2 adjective

ad·​he·​sive -ˈhē-siv  -ziv 

1

a

: tending to adhere or cause adherence

adhesive resins

b

: prepared for adhering

an adhesive bandage

2

: characterized by adhesions

adhesive inflammation

adhesively adverb

adhesive

2 of 2 noun

1

: an adhesive substance

especially : a substance (as glue, starch, paste, or mucilage) that bonds two materials together by adhering to the surface of each

2

: adhesive tape