coalesce
Americanverb (used without object)
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to grow together or into one body.
The two lakes coalesced into one.
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to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc..
The various groups coalesced into a crowd.
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to blend or come together.
Their ideas coalesced into one theory.
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uncoalescentadjective
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coalescencenoun
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noncoalescencenoun
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noncoalescingadjective
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noncoalescentadjective
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coalescentadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has coalescedperfect 3rd person singular
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have coalescedperfect
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am coalescingprogressive 1st person singular
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are coalescingprogressive
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has been coalescingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is coalescingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been coalescingperfect progressive
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coalescingparticiple
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coalescessingular 3rd person
Past
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had coalescedperfect
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were coalescingprogressive plural
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was coalescingprogressive singular
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coalescedparticiple
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had been coalescingperfect progressive
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coalescedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of coalesce
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin coalēscere, equivalent to co- co- + al- (stem of alere “to nourish, make grow”) + -escere -esce
Explanation
Waiting for a plan to come together? You're waiting for it to coalesce. Coalesce is when different elements of something join together and become one. In coalesce, you see co-, which should tell you the word means "together." The other half of the word comes from alescere, a Latin verb meaning "to grow up." So if you are trying to start up a photography club at school, once you have an advisor, some interested students, and support from the administration, things will hopefully coalesce, or come together, to make it happen.
Vocabulary lists containing coalesce
"A Quilt of a Country," Vocabulary from the argument
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Flowers for Algernon
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This Week in Words: December 9 - 15, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I fear these factors will coalesce to make an eventual market downturn even more painful than it would be otherwise.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
But Ms. Fridland cautions against assuming that we are destined to coalesce around a common manner of speech.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
As entertainment media become dominant, they naturally coalesce around formats best suited for the technology and business model.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
He said the lack of organised opposition within Iran means that people do not have anyone to coalesce around who presents an alternative to the regime as it stands.
From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026
As soon as there was a centre of gravity, or a ‘home’ in the sound, the relationship between chords also started to coalesce into hierarchies.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
