coherently

American  

[koh-heer-uhnt-lee, -her-] / koʊˈhɪər ənt li, -ˈhɛr- /

adverb

1. in a clear and logically connected, consistent, intelligible way; in a way that makes sense.

   None of the parties present was able to explain coherently what had happened.

   Your paper must have a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion.

2. with a natural, harmonious, well-balanced agreement of parts.

   We’ve turned these goals into concrete initiatives that work coherently across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts.

3. Physics, Optics. with electromagnetic waves in a fixed phase relationship maintained over time.

   A coherently illuminated system is especially useful for performing spectral analysis.

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Other Word Forms

• noncoherently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of coherently

First recorded in 1615–25; coherent ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coherently

This is, to put it gently, some distance from a group of government minsters acting collectively and coherently.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

And it can think coherently for so long that even an abridged version of the model’s “chain of thought” ran more than 75,000 words—the length of the first “Harry Potter” book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

The scenario mostly serves as a reminder that despite the nonsensical choices leaders may be making, markets will find a way to adjust coherently with higher prices.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

OpenAI added that a single product surface would allow it to move more quickly and coherently.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

Finally, I awoke feeling able to talk to him coherently and understand what he said.

From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler