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Synonyms

adhesive

American  
[ad-hee-siv, -ziv] / ædˈhi sɪv, -zɪv /

adjective

  1. coated with glue, paste, mastic, or other sticky substance.

    adhesive bandages.

  2. sticking fast; sticky; clinging.

  3. Physics. of or relating to the molecular force that exists in the area of contact between unlike bodies and that acts to unite them.

noun

  1. a substance that causes something to adhere, as glue or rubber cement.

  2. adhesive tape.

  3. Philately. a postage stamp with a gummed back, as distinguished from one embossed or printed on an envelope or card.

adhesive British  
/ ədˈhiːsɪv /

adjective

  1. able or designed to adhere; sticky

    adhesive tape

  2. tenacious or clinging

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a substance used for sticking objects together, such as glue, cement, or paste

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
adhesive Scientific  
/ ăd-hē′sĭv /

  1. A substance, such as paste or cement, that causes two surfaces to stick together. Adhesives are made of gelatin or other substances, such as epoxy, resin, or polyethylene.

  1. Relating to adhesion.

Other Word Forms

  • adhesively adverb
  • adhesiveness noun
  • nonadhesive adjective
  • nonadhesively adverb
  • nonadhesiveness noun
  • semiadhesive adjective
  • semiadhesively adverb
  • semiadhesiveness noun
  • unadhesive adjective
  • unadhesively adverb
  • unadhesiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of adhesive

First recorded in 1660–70; adhes(ion) + -ive

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.

The mechanism works by moving an adhesive coated belt around the outside of the cell, pulling the bacterium forward in a motion that resembles a microscopic snowmobile.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Lynsey says you should avoid anything with adhesive labels as these can clog the filter.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

"Hair has an adhesive quality and the ability to capture certain contaminants," says Mattia Carenini, Global Hubs Director at Matter of Trust.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

Sonny Angels Hippers, which sell for $13.75, are adhesive and designed to attach to the back of a cellphone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

I remember looking at the adhesive pad on the windshield where the mirror should have been, and shaking my head like my father was clueless.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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.