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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
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
And still, the Broncos’ Thursday warm-up playlist was more cohesive than their offense has been through three games.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
The palette of whites, greys, and blacks maintain a cohesive color scheme, while there is no juxtaposition between interior and exterior.
—Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2025
Critics, including education advocates, argue the provision’s last-minute inclusion in the budget reflected the political leverage of cohesive voting blocs in Brooklyn and Rockland County.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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