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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
Kingsuk Chakrabarty, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Democrats have also faced growing turmoil and scrutiny following the election loss, as the party struggles with delivering a cohesive message and a leader who resonates with voters.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
The bulk of that credit should go to Minnesota, which not only looked like the more cohesive team but also functioned as one designed almost explicitly to highlight every one of the Lakers’ blemishes.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
The family opted instead for a grill and small fridge, with a wood counter built around it to give a cohesive look.
—Rory Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 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 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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