coherently

[ koh-heer-uhnt-lee, -her- ]

adverb

1. in a clear and logically connected, consistent, intelligible way; in a way that makes sense:

   None of the parties present was able to explain coherently what had happened.

   Your paper must have a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion.

2. with a natural, harmonious, well-balanced agreement of parts:

   We’ve turned these goals into concrete initiatives that work coherently across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts.

3. Physics, Optics. with electromagnetic waves in a fixed phase relationship maintained over time:

   A coherently illuminated system is especially useful for performing spectral analysis.

Other Words From

• non·co·her·ent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of coherently¹

First recorded in 1615–25; coherent ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

After a second round of cortisone therapy, he regained the ability to concentrate and express himself coherently, he says.

From Science Magazine

In doing so, he questioned the capacity of elderly residents to coherently cast their ballot.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump’s gaffe comes as reports of his increasingly public challenges speaking coherently plague his campaign, while he continues to run on the age of his opponent, Joe Biden, as a key deciding factor.

From Salon

The researchers emphasize the incredibly high precision that the characterization process required, as the trefoil field is made of not just one, but two coherently combined optical fields.

From Science Daily

"As cannabis becomes legal, it will be more coherently regulated, and it will be much easier to safely and effectively institute environmental regulations on the production and distribution of cannabis."

From Salon