cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the act or state of sticking together tightly

especially : unity

… the family has evidenced a cohesion and continuity which is unique in the publishing business.

—Richard Dunlop

… 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

cohesionless

kō-ˈhē-zhən-ləs 

adjective

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

Homeyer notes that cohesion in this type of design isn’t accidental, there’s intentionality behind it. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026

Although the exhibit features 27 separate visions and artworks, there’s a sense of cohesion among the installations, murals and sculptures. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Ross now imparts these crucial lessons on preparation, mindset, and team cohesion to her athletes, preparing them for the intense Olympic spotlight and the pursuit of gold. — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

These tactics reduced the effectiveness of the elephants and disrupted the cohesion of Hemu’s attack. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin cohaesiōn-, cohaesiō (Medieval Latin, "proximity contact"), from Latin cohaes-, variant stem of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -iōn-, -iō -ion

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cohesion

• adhesion
• artesian
• cartesian
• elysian
• magnesian
• austronesian
• indonesian
• melanesian
• micronesian
• polynesian
• friesian
• lesion

Kids Definition

cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the action or state of sticking together

2

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

cohesive

kō-ˈhē-siv, 

-ziv

adjective

cohesiveness noun

Medical Definition

cohesion

noun

co·​he·​sion kō-ˈhē-zhən 

1

: the act or process of sticking together tightly

2

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