coherent
koh-HEER-uhnt
/koʊˈhɪərənt/
Logical, consistent, and orderly; making sense as a whole.
Describes how well ideas stick together and flow logically from one to the next in a piece of writing or speech.
The story behind the word. The word 'coherent' comes from the Latin 'cohaerere', formed from 'co-' (together) and 'haerere' (to stick). It is the exact linguistic cousin of 'cohesion'. When your thoughts are coherent, they literally stick together to form a solid structure.
Word relationships
- logical: Logical refers to step-by-step reasoning, while coherent refers to how well all parts of a whole fit together.
- consistent: Consistent means not self-contradictory, whereas coherent means easily understood and unified.
- incoherent: Incoherent means disjointed, confusing, and lacking logical connection.
- disjointed: Disjointed implies that the parts are disconnected and do not flow smoothly.
Commonly confused with
- cohesive: Cohesive refers to physical elements sticking together, while coherent refers to ideas or language making logical sense.
Word family
- coherence (noun): The quality of being logical, orderly, and consistent.
- coherently (adverb): In a logical and consistent manner.
Collocations
- coherent argument
- coherent strategy
- coherent narrative
- perfectly coherent
Example sentences
- "The essay contained many interesting facts, but it failed to present a coherent argument." A critique of a poorly structured academic essay.
- "He was so exhausted that he could barely form a coherent sentence." Describing someone speaking clearly despite being tired.
Memory hook
Think of 'co-adhere'—ideas that adhere (stick) together so they don't fall apart. Ideas that stick together.
When not to use
Do not use to describe physical stickiness (use 'adhesive' or 'sticky' instead).
Fun facts
- In physics, 'coherent light' refers to light waves that are locked in phase with one another, which is exactly how a laser beam is created.
Explore more words
cogent, cohesion, continuity, sequential, make sense, articulate
Also appears in
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