English Reference
adjective

coherent

adj.
US /koʊˈhɪɹənt/ UK /kəʊhˈiəɹənt/ co·her·ent

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    logical and easy to understand because the ideas are connected well.

    logical, consistent, and easy to follow; specifically used of arguments, thoughts, or speech.

    Simple

    The student wrote a coherent essay with a clear beginning and end.

    In context

    The witness was unable to provide a coherent account of the incident, as her shock made her jump between unrelated details.

    Usage

    Commonly used to describe speech, writing, or arguments.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Academic

    forming a complete and organized whole where all parts fit together.

    forming a unified whole; having a natural or due agreement of parts.

    Simple

    The city needs a coherent plan for public transport instead of many small projects.

    In context

    The collection of short stories lacks a coherent theme, making the book feel more like a random assortment than a deliberate work.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    describes waves, like light in a laser, that move together in the same direction and at the same time.

    of waves having the same direction, wavelength, and phase relationship.

    Simple

    A laser produces a beam of coherent light that can travel long distances.

    In context

    The experiment required a coherent light source to ensure that the interference patterns remained stable throughout the observation period.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    describes plant parts of the same kind that are grown together or touching.

    referring to similar parts of a plant that are united or closely pressed together.

    Simple

    The botanist noted that the petals were coherent, forming a tube shape.

    In context

    In certain species, the coherent stamens form a protective cylinder around the central style of the flower.

Usage coherent structure

Oval Invincibles felt like a coherent brand, with their unique mint green colour scheme.

BBC News· 16 Aug 2026

When the team ran the flies through a simulated natural plume in their computer model, the entry-angle memory worked best near the source, where the plume held together as a coherent ribbon.

Ars Technica· 1 Aug 2026

From Middle French coherent, from Latin cohaērēns, from co- + haereō. By surface analysis, cohere + -ent.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin cohaērēns
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated