cohere

[ koh-heer ]

verb (used without object)

, co·hered, co·her·ing.

1. to stick together; be united; hold fast, as parts of the same mass:

   The particles of wet flour cohered to form a paste.

2. Physics. (of two or more similar substances) to be united within a body by the action of molecular forces.
3. to be naturally or logically connected:

   Without sound reasoning no argument will cohere.

   Synonyms: follow

4. to agree; be congruous:

   Her account of the incident cohered with his.

cohere

/ kəʊˈhɪə /

verb

1. to hold or stick firmly together
2. to be connected logically; be consistent
3. physics to be held together by the action of molecular forces

Word History and Origins

Origin of cohere¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin cohaerēre, equivalent to co- co- + haerēre “to stick, cling”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cohere¹

C16: from Latin cohaerēre from co- together + haerēre to cling, adhere

Synonym Study

See stick ².

Example Sentences

"This has not happened before, with one department, one unit and one person having the responsibility to cohere and to coordinate the system," he added.

From BBC

“Fight Night” flirts with a variety of styles — blaxploitation, police procedural, social drama, the buddy-cop movie — which are successful on their own terms but don’t easily cohere.

From Los Angeles Times

Could you say that the life story Madonna promised to tell cohered Monday with any discernible logic?

From Los Angeles Times

And at times like these, the federation coheres.

From Los Angeles Times

Beyond the libretto, there are musical challenges to making the piece cohere.

From Seattle Times