cohesion

noun

co·he·sion | \kō-ˈhē-zhən

Definition of cohesion

1 : the act or state of sticking together tightly especially : unity the lack of cohesion in the Party — The Times Literary Supplement (London) cohesion among soldiers in a unit

2 : union between similar plant parts or organs

3 : molecular attraction by which the particles of a body are united throughout the mass

Other Words from cohesion Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about cohesion

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Did You Know?

Cohesion is one of the noun forms of cohere; the others are cohesiveness and coherence, each of which has a slightly different meaning. Coherence is often used to describe a person's speech or writing. An incoherent talk or blog post is one that doesn't "hang together;" and if the police pick up someone who they describe as incoherent, it means he or she isn't making sense. But to describe a group or team that always sticks together, you would use cohesive, not coherent. And the words you'd use in Chemistry class to describe the way molecules hang together—for example, the way water forms into beads and drops—are cohesion, cohesive, and cohesiveness.

Examples of cohesion in a Sentence

There was a lack of cohesion in the rebel army.

Recent Examples on the Web

Sermanni said the club lacked cohesion after that defeat. — Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando Pride set for rematch against Houston Dash," 10 July 2018 What is more, the next round of EU cohesion-policy funds, to run from 2021 to 2027, will be much less generous to central and eastern Europe than the current one, which started in 2014 and runs until 2020. — The Economist, "Central Europe’s Goldilocks economies," 5 July 2018 The European Commission’s blueprint for the 2021-2027 EU budget of 1.28 trillion euros ($1.54 trillion) seeks to reduce spending on cohesion policy by about 7 percent, according to Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger. — Ewa Krukowska, Bloomberg.com, "EU Regional Aid to Shrink Under Plan Rebuked by Eastern Members," 2 May 2018 One of Putin's long-term goals is to weaken the cohesion of the West, a process being accelerated by the current tensions. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump flips US foreign policy upside down," 7 June 2018 But there was a choppiness too from one section to the next, and a lack of cohesion among the scenes that prevented a deeper impression. — Laura Bleiberg, latimes.com, "Barak Ballet at the Broad Stage: New moves for a company on the verge," 1 July 2018 Knobs on a nightstand like the one pictured below contribute to a sense of cohesion. — Devin Alessio, ELLE Decor, "5 Ideas For A Gender Neutral Nursery Your Little One Will Love," 28 July 2016 But just as offense requires cohesion, so defense needs to be unified, too. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers 2018: LeBron's triple-double flashback -- Bill Livingston (photos)," 5 Mar. 2018 There is a cohesion in the program that holds the exhibition together, too. — Charles Desmarais, SFChronicle.com, "Summer exhibition at Hosfelt Gallery a monstrous affair," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cohesion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.