adhesion

American  

[ad-hee-zhuhn] / ædˈhi ʒən /

noun

1. the act or state of adhering; state of being adhered or united.

   the adhesion of parts united by growth.

2. steady or devoted attachment, support, etc.; adherence.

3. assent; concurrence.

4. Physics. the molecular force of attraction in the area of contact between unlike bodies that acts to hold them together.

5. Pathology.

   1. the abnormal union of adjacent tissues.

   2. the tissue involved.

6. Botany. the union of normally separate parts.

7. Railroads.

   1. the frictional resistance of rails to the tendency of driving wheels to slip.

   2. factor of adhesion.

---

adhesion British  

/ ədˈhiːʒən /

noun

1. the quality or condition of sticking together or holding fast

2. ability to make firm contact without skidding or slipping

3. attachment or fidelity, as to a political party, cause, etc

4. an attraction or repulsion between the molecules of unlike substances in contact: distinguished from cohesion

5. pathol abnormal union of structures or parts

---

adhesion Scientific  

/ ăd-hē′zhən /

1. The force of attraction that causes two different substances to join. Adhesion causes water to spread out over glass.

2. Compare cohesion

3. A fibrous band of abnormal tissue that binds together tissues that are normally separate. Adhesions form during the healing of some wounds, usually as a result of inflammation.

---

adhesion Cultural  

1. The molecular (see molecule) attraction that holds the surfaces of two dissimilar substances together. (Compare cohesion.)

---

Usage

Adhesion is the preferred term when talking about sticking or holding fast in a physical sense. Adherence is preferred when talking about attachment to a political party, cause, etc

Other Word Forms

• adhesional adjective
• nonadhesion noun

Etymology

Origin of adhesion

1615–25; < Medieval Latin adhēsiōn- for Latin adhaesiōn- (stem of adhaesiō ) a clinging, equivalent to adhaes ( us ), past participle of adhaerēre to adhere + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Dab some Krazy Glue onto a surface and you'll see how powerful its properties of adhesion, or stickiness, are. Similarly, someone who sticks to a cause no matter what has a really strong adhesion or commitment to that cause. Adhesion comes from the Latin adhaesionem meaning "a sticking to," a translation that perfectly captures that adhesive quality. Objects can be characterized by their adhesion — like Scotch tape or Velcro. Similarly, when you see a group of protesters camped outside the Capital fighting for a cause, it's their adhesion (or dedication) that keeps them stuck there rain or shine. In medicine, adhesion is used to describe abnormal bands of scar tissue that might form after a surgery.

Example Sentences

The researchers also detected increased levels of adhesion molecules in heart blood vessels.

From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2025

His ability to balance on the edge of adhesion in the braking-entry phase at a higher speed than almost anyone else made him stand out.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

The layers exhibited strong adhesion under mechanical stress, making these findings crucial for improving material durability in fusion reactors and high-temperature energy systems.

From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2024

He says: “You have a steel wheel on a steel rail and anything that causes low adhesion can be a big problem.”

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2024

And in respect to international protection, the report said "the United States of America must give in its adhesion to international copyright or stand as the literary Ishmael of the civilized world."

From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers