cohesion

American  

[koh-hee-zhuhn] / koʊˈhi ʒən /

noun

cohesions plural

1. the act or state of cohering, uniting, or sticking together.

2. Physics. the molecular force between particles within a body or substance that acts to unite them.

3. Botany. the congenital union of one part with another.

4. Linguistics. the property of unity in a written text or a segment of spoken discourse that stems from links among its surface elements, as when words in one sentence are repeated in another, and especially from the fact that some words or phrases depend for their interpretation upon material in preceding or following text, as in the sequence Be assured of this. Most people do not want to fight. However, they will do so when provoked, where this refers to the two sentences that follow, they refers back to most people, do so substitutes for the preceding verb fight, and however relates the clause that follows to the preceding sentence.

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cohesion British  

/ kəʊˈhiːʒən /

noun

1. the act or state of cohering; tendency to unite

2. physics the force that holds together the atoms or molecules in a solid or liquid, as distinguished from adhesion

3. botany the fusion in some plants of flower parts, such as petals, that are usually separate

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cohesion Scientific  

/ kō-hē′zhən /

1. The force of attraction that holds molecules of a given substance together. It is strongest in solids, less strong in liquids, and least strong in gases. Cohesion of molecules causes drops to form in liquids (as when liquid mercury is poured on a piece of glass), and causes condensing water vapor to form the droplets that make clouds.

2. Compare adhesion

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cohesion Cultural  

1. The molecular (see molecule) attraction or joining of the surfaces of two pieces of the same substance. (Compare adhesion.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intercohesion
  noun
• noncohesion
  noun
• cohesionless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cohesions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cohesion

First recorded in 1670–80; variant of cohaesion, from Latin cohaes(us) “stuck together” (past participle of cohaerēre “to stick, cling together”; see cohere) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Cohesion means sticking together. If your group of friends heads to the lunchroom as a team and sits all together, you're demonstrating strong cohesion. Cohesion is a word that comes to us through physics, where cohesion describes particles that are the same and tend to stick together — water molecules, for example. Outside of physics, cohesion describes unity among parts, and is something to be sought after. A team that has good cohesion is often a team that wins.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cohesion cohesions

But the air, space and instrumental cohesion of touchstones like, say, Bonnie Raitt are nowhere to be found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, has repeatedly positioned the sport as a force for inclusion and social cohesion; soccer diplomacy is being elevated as the panacea for our current global disharmony.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

He points to healthcare, social cohesion and quality of life as major attractions.

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

He walked into a bad scene on only his second appearance; a hushed crowd, a team grappling with an opponent that had the bit between their teeth, a total lack of cohesion and conviction.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

But of all of music’s contributions to the human condition, its ability to create social cohesion and communicate emotion has ensured its longevity.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

So now there’s Timme and Nembhard, together for two seasons and able to fashion those nuanced cohesions of longtime teammates.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022

"Hopefully, we have a good run of health where we can really build something in a short period of time and get a better seed and also more cohesions going into the playoffs."

From Fox News ● Feb. 18, 2022

"We fear that such behaviour threatens to harm social cohesions between Muslim and Jewish communities here in the UK."

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2021

The divide between the haves and the have-nots is cultural as well as economic, which is of course why extreme economic inequality destroys social cohesions.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 20, 2011

All the cohesions, chemical affinities, affections of metals, liquids, and gases are in full play, and the measureless power of gravitation.

From Among the Forces by Warren, Henry White

Related Words

• coherence