cohesive

adjective

co·​he·​sive kō-ˈhē-siv 

-ziv

: exhibiting or producing cohesion or coherence

a cohesive social unit

cohesive soils

the cohesive property of clay

cohesively adverb

cohesiveness noun

Did you know?

Cohesive describes something that sticks together literally or figuratively. To get into the stickiness of the matter, look at the word's etymology: cohesive ultimately derives from Latin haerere, meaning "to stick." Other descendants of haerere in English include adhere (literally meaning "to stick"), its relative adhesive (a word for a substance for sticking things together), inhere (meaning "to belong by nature or habit"), and even hesitate (which implies remaining stuck in place before taking action). Haerere also teamed up with the prefix co- to form cohaerere, an ancestor of cohesive, cohesion ("a sticking together"), cohere ("to stick together"), and coherent ("able to stick together" or "logically consistent").

Examples of cohesive in a Sentence

Their tribe is a small but cohesive group.

Religion can be used as a cohesive social force.

Recent Examples on the Web

This Year What Is Star and Cross Tile? Just as its name indicates, the iconic Moroccan and Spanish-influenced tile consists of beautiful alternating star- and cross-shaped tiles that interlock for a cohesive yet graphic look. —Chantal Lamers, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2024

This 3 bedroom, 4 (ish) bathroom home boasts of work from home spaces, lovely period floorboards and mysterious hallways that don’t logically seem to join spaces together but always feel cohesive and purposeful. —Tj MacIas, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin cohaesus, past participle of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -ive

First Known Use

circa 1731, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

cohesive

adjective

co·​he·​sive kō-ˈhē-siv, -ziv 

: exhibiting or producing cohesion

cohesively adverb

cohesiveness noun