Cohesive describes something that sticks together literally or figuratively. To get into the stickiness of the matter, look at the word's etymology: cohesive ultimately derives from Latin haerere, meaning "to stick." Other descendants of haerere in English include adhere (literally meaning "to stick"), its relative adhesive (a word for a substance for sticking things together), inhere (meaning "to belong by nature or habit"), and even hesitate (which implies remaining stuck in place before taking action). Haerere also teamed up with the prefix co- to form cohaerere, an ancestor of cohesive, cohesion ("a sticking together"), cohere ("to stick together"), and coherent ("able to stick together" or "logically consistent").
Example Sentences
Their tribe is a small but cohesive group. Religion can be used as a cohesive social force.
Recent Examples on the WebAcross the region, the United States has made strategic efforts to embrace the allies in a more cohesive coalition, with military and diplomatic underpinnings.New York Times, 3 Aug. 2022 Frequently, this focus on an early partnership results in a more cohesive website with beautiful aesthetics and a clean, intuitive user interface. Michelle Abdow, Forbes, 17 June 2022 This new, more cohesive lineup will leave one Google video app and three Google chat apps. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2022 The car is more cohesive and stylish than the previous generation, with a good mix of physical buttons and digital displays. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 21 June 2022 The unified look of the cabinets makes the small space feel more cohesive, and glass-front doors keep the shelves from becoming dusty catchalls. Andrea Cooley, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2022 What was the difficulty in getting those shots in a cohesive manner? Carson Burton, Variety, 19 Aug. 2022 Ultimately, Spoelstra will play his best players and most cohesive units. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2022 While those doing the writing and those doing graphic design are often different people or groups, collaborating with one another can yield branding that is more cohesive—and ultimately more effective. Roger Boutin, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin cohaesus, past participle of cohaerēre "to stick together, cohere" + -ive