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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
Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Here, Gerdes created an airy, cohesive container with delicate, shimmering flowers of alyssum and ‘Glitz’ euphorbia, pops of pale purple ‘Starfish’ petunia blooms, soft mounds of velvety artemisia, and trailing silver tendrils of dichondra.
—Mike Irvine, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2025
The firm offers design, construction, and furnishings services, giving it the ability to manage all aspects of a project and resulting in cohesive, comfortable, and character-rich residences.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 20 May 2025
Publicizing these changes and their mutually beneficial gains can help to create a more cohesive team where everyone can thrive.
—Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 19 May 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 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
cohesive
adjective
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