coherent
Americanadjective
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logically connected; consistent.
a coherent argument.
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having a natural or due agreement of parts; harmonious.
a coherent design.
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cohering; sticking together.
a coherent mass of sticky candies.
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Physics, Optics. of or relating to waves that maintain a fixed phase relationship, as in coherent light, or light in which the electromagnetic waves maintain a fixed and predictable phase relationship with each other over a period of time.
adjective
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capable of logical and consistent speech, thought, etc
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logical; consistent and orderly
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cohering or sticking together
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physics (of two or more waves) having the same phase or a fixed phase difference
coherent light
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(of a system of units) consisting only of units the quotient or product of any two of which yield the unit of the resultant quantity
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of coherent
First recorded in 1570–80; from Medieval Latin cohērent-, variant of Latin cohaerent- (stem of cohaerēns ), present participle of cohaerēre; see cohere, -ent
Explanation
Something coherent is logical and clear. "I told you if you didn't do your homework you couldn't watch TV. You didn't do your homework so you can't watch TV." This is a coherent argument (and annoying as well). The thing about such coherent arguments, as your Mom well knows, is that they are also easily and clearly understood. If someone speaks coherently, they are speaking clearly and lucidly. A slight variation on the meaning comes in the sense of something that is united clearly as a whole and a recognizable entity. You might say, for example, that New York City is a "culturally coherent region" within the United States.
Vocabulary lists containing coherent
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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List 1
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Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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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.
Numbers are all over the place, which is one reason Musk’s ability to share a coherent narrative matters.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Does our society still have a coherent understanding of the human person capable of directing technological power toward genuinely human ends?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Because the thing about Miles Davis is that he teaches people who have never meditated how to stop and be coherent about absoluteness.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
But the state’s lawyers couldn’t present a coherent theory as to why; they couldn’t actually explain: Here is exactly what we think states should do when weighing multiple IQ scores.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
How might an author have presented these themes in a more coherent way?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
