co|her|ence

co|her|ence «koh HIHR uhns», noun.

1. Figurative. logical connection; consistency; congruity: »

The insane man's speech lacked coherence. The laws of brain physiology ultimately depend for their significance, as well as coherence, on mathematical and logical laws (W. Mays).

2. the act or fact of sticking together; tendency to hold together; cohesion: »

the coherence of atoms of the same chemical element. Figurative. The authority of the Church, the coherence of the old social system were lost; and there was no longer any body of thought accepted as more or less authoritative (Edmund Wilson).

3. harmonious connection of the parts of a discourse.

Synonym Study 2 Coherence, cohesion mean the quality or state of sticking together. Coherence implies a figurative sticking together and a resulting unity, consistency, or congruity. Coherence in an argument implies a logical ordering and clear arrangement of the sever points, in a painting the harmonious disposal of the various elements of the design. Cohesion ordinarily implies a literal sticking together of the parts of a physical substance: »

Surface tension is attributable to the cohesion between the molecules of a liquid.