What does "coherent" mean?
Unified; sticking together; making up a whole.
Coherent
/kəʊˈhɪə.ɹənt/ adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Unified; sticking together; making up a whole.
- Grammar: coherent is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: consistent, logical, academic consistency, academic tone.
- Useful contrasts: incoherent, separate, academic incoherence.
- Usage evidence: Our tax system is still without coherent philosophy.
How to use "coherent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "coherent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "coherent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "coherent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "coherent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "coherent" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "consistent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "coherent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Unified; sticking together; making up a whole.
"These people professed that the universe was one coherent thing; but they were not fond of the universe."
- 2 Orderly, logical and consistent.
"At present she is unable to give any coherent account of the past, and the doctors hold out no hopes of the reestablishment of her reason."
- 3 Aesthetically ordered.
- 4 Having a natural or due agreement of parts; harmonious: a coherent design.
- 5 Of waves having the same direction, wavelength and phase, as light in a laser.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Attaching or pressing against an organ of the same nature.
- 7 Belonging to a specific class of sheaves having particularly manageable properties closely linked to the geometrical properties of the underlying space. See Coherent sheaf on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- 8 In a technical sense, determined by the (topology of) the subsets. Formally, Such that 𝒯 is the finest topology on T for which the inclusion maps ιₐ:C_a→T are continuous, where each C_a is considered with its subspace topology.
- 9 Finitely generated and such that all finitely generated submodules are finitely presented.
- 10 Such that every finitely generated (left) ideal is finitely presented.
Adjective
- 1 sticking together wordnet
- 2 (physics) of waves having a constant phase relation wordnet
- 3 marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts wordnet
- 4 capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Our tax system is still without coherent philosophy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "coherent"?
Common synonyms include: consistent, logical, academic consistency, academic tone, accordant, adhering.
How do you use "coherent" in a sentence?
Our tax system is still without coherent philosophy.
How do you pronounce "coherent"?
Pronounced /kəʊˈhɪə.ɹənt/.
Etymology
From Middle French coherent, from Latin cohaērēns, from co- + haereō. By surface analysis, cohere + -ent.