# cohesion

/koʊˈhiʒən/ (US) · /kəʊhˈiːʒən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cohesion
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. social or group unity

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the way that people in a group or society stay united and work well together.

For teachers: the state of unity or togetherness within a social group or organization. Uncountable in this abstract sense.

- The team lacked cohesion and struggled to finish the project on time.
- The government introduced new policies aimed at improving social cohesion in neighborhoods affected by recent economic decline.

### 2. linguistics

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

the way that words and sentences are linked together to make a text easy to follow.

For teachers: the grammatical and lexical linking within a text or sentence that holds a discourse together and gives it meaning.

- Using words like 'however' and 'therefore' helps improve the cohesion of your essay.
- The student's essay was rich in vocabulary but lacked the structural cohesion necessary to guide the reader through the complex argument.

### 3. physics and chemistry

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the natural force that makes molecules of the same substance stick to each other.

For teachers: the intermolecular force that holds together the molecules of a solid or liquid. Often contrasted with adhesion.

- Surface tension is caused by the cohesion between water molecules.
- The experiment demonstrated how the strong internal cohesion of the liquid allowed it to form perfect droplets on the glass surface.

### 4. computing and systems

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

how well the different parts of a computer program or system fit together to do one job.

For teachers: the degree to which the elements inside a module or system belong together. High cohesion is generally associated with robust software design.

- Good software design requires high cohesion within each part of the code.
- The lead architect insisted on refactoring the module to increase its cohesion, ensuring that each function served a single, well-defined purpose.

## Examples

- The team lacks cohesion and often argues during games.
- The professor praised the essay for its strong logical cohesion and clear transitions between paragraphs.
- Social cohesion remains a primary goal for the new government, as they seek to bridge the economic divide between rural and urban populations through targeted infrastructure investment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.