Did you know?
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
Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
The designer advises homeowners to instead work with a pro to come up with a tile plan that is cohesive and classic, not chaotic.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
On top of beauty, Old Navy reintroduced its handbag range—the brand’s most cohesive lineup to date.
—Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
The team then traced how these features once connected, revealing which belonged to cohesive, basin-spanning drainage networks.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
Share