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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
Matt Emma, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
By styling pieces from different designers and aesthetics into cohesive looks, the platform highlights how varied design codes can coexist—and reinforces Fabrique’s identity as a collective rather than a single-label brand.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025
The reasons for success in both of those arenas are absolutely the same — energy; conviction; an ability to blend different styles of music (country, rock, soul) into a cohesive worship sound; a sense of purpose in every note of every one of his songs; and, without a doubt, fantastic songwriting.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
In the one power play the Leafs had, their puck movement was noticeably more cohesive.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 21 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 28 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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