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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
Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Relate Furnishings to One Another How pieces relate to each other is incredibly important in creating a cohesive space, and Hackl says scale and proportion are critical to that relationship.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 June 2025
Though a subtle contrast, the shoes maintained the brown-gold spectrum of the gown, keeping the overall look cohesive.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 June 2025
Saline has salt water inside, while silicone is filled with cohesive silicone.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 3 June 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 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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