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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
Carlos Wolf, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
Sonic benefits—a more cohesive soundstage and precise imaging—are easily discerned with high- and mid-frequencies propagated from a single point-source.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
Reportedly, Apple wants a more cohesive OS strategy; the result may resemble visionOS.
—Joe Hindy, PCMAG, 25 Mar. 2025
The United States has never declared an official language, yet has been unified and cohesive enough to be the world’s leading superpower for 85 years.
—Patricia Lopez, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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