coalesce
Americanverb (used without object)
-
coalesces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coalesced,
past participle, past
-
coalescing
present participle
-
to grow together or into one body.
The two lakes coalesced into one.
-
to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc..
The various groups coalesced into a crowd.
-
to blend or come together.
Their ideas coalesced into one theory.
verb (used with object)
-
coalesces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
coalesced,
past participle, past
-
coalescing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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coalescencenoun
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noncoalescencenoun
-
coalescentadjective
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noncoalescentadjective
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noncoalescingadjective
-
uncoalescentadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
coalescesimple
-
coalescessimple
-
have coalescedperfect
-
has coalescedperfect
-
am coalescingprogressive
-
are coalescingprogressive
-
is coalescingprogressive
-
have been coalescingperfect progressive
-
has been coalescingperfect progressive
Past
-
coalescedsimple
-
had coalescedperfect
-
was coalescingprogressive
-
were coalescingprogressive
-
had been coalescingperfect progressive
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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myPerspectives 9.1
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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.
See Examples For:
The coroner said the inquest aimed to give the Pearson family a voice, but added that their concerns "coalesce into two words of rhetoric – 'What if?'"
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Traditionally, the summit is held to bring together the top financial ministers and find a way for them to coalesce around joint challenges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
This is how her Gemini Venus makes all of her multidisciplinary artistic practices coalesce into one cohesive universe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
NWR’s high concepts and their abrasive execution don’t always coalesce.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
He thinks: It’s hunger, the fever, I’m imagining things, my mind is forcing the static to coalesce .
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Mr. Clayton’s “Finding Ways,” whose triumphant melody coalesces from a loose geometry of intervals, and which relies on tension-and-release, suggests the architecture and motion of music by pianist Andrew Hill, another 1960s Blue Note hero.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
But IndieWire's Caleb Hammond said: "While this version contains its fair share of standout sequences along with Oscar-ready performances, the film never fully coalesces into an effective, singular, emotional narrative."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2024
But it coalesces around especially trendy aesthetics and a staunch desire to live responsibly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2024
All of it coalesces the sad moral of the story: these people are small.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2023
The group coalesces around the front-runners as Frederick and his pursuers get to their feet, all of them pasted with snow.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Opposition has also coalesced around religious appeals from a theologically diverse group of residents, leaders and politicians who see data center development as an affront to their most sacred values.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026
Cabinet reshuffles require parliamentary approval -- although lawmakers have largely coalesced around Zelensky since Russia's invasion, and do not typically block his agenda.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Democratic voters and interest groups quickly coalesced behind Becerra, who was seen as a steady candidate with a long resume in California politics and a record of fighting the Trump administration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Several of those donors then coalesced behind former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra, who was struggling to connect with California voters before he surged to become a front-runner, recent opininon polls show.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Into this land a group of Indians coalesced sometime before 800 a.d.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Activists across the U.S. are coalescing around concerns about AI-related job losses, data-center sprawl and AI-fueled cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A battle between gold bugs and bullion bears appeared to be coalescing around the $4,000 an ounce mark on Tuesday, as the precious metal is on track to register its worst quarter in 13 years.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
But as I held the shower over my head, suddenly the stream of water turned dark, as long strands of brown hair began coalescing around the plug hole in front of my eyes.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Opinion polls bear this out, with more voters saying they are undecided or coalescing behind any of the dozen prominent candidates who have announced bids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
As they spoke, the smoke seemed to be coalescing into some sort of shape, almost like...almost like a body, a torso.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
