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
Zakkiyyah Terrell White, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Decisions are made one at a time, rather than as part of a cohesive strategy.
—Sandra Richards, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2026
During the interwar years, several tacticians and historians became advocates for the new style of fighting that emphasized mobility, mechanization, and cohesive operations.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
The strongest retreats integrate spa, fitness, nutrition, assessment, accommodation and mindfulness into a single cohesive program — not a buffet of disconnected offerings.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cohesive
Cite this Entry
“Cohesive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cohesive. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
