coherent

(kō-hîr'ənt, -hĕr'-)
adj.

1. Sticking together; cohering.
2. Marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts: a coherent essay.
3. Physics. Of, relating to, or having waves with similar direction, amplitude, and phase that are capable of exhibiting interference.
4. Of or relating to a system of units of measurement in which a small number of basic units are defined from which all others in the system are derived by multiplication or division only.
5. Botany. Sticking to but not fused with a part or an organ of the same kind.

coherently co·her'ent·ly adv.

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Both words come from a Latin root related to our word cohere, but their meanings are different. Coherent means 'logical and consistent' and is applied to speakers and their arguments. See also cogent. Cohesive means 'tending to stick together' and is generally used either physically (as with liquid mixtures, for example) or in abstract contexts:

He was not able to show that they acted together as a cohesive political force—T. Harris, 1993

The fate of the cohesive gel implant rests in the results of studies in the years ahead—Cosmetic Surgery Times, 2003.

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Next:	cohort, coinages, colander

Besides the base units metre, kilogram, second, etc., the SI system has numerous simply named derived units, such as the newton and the joule. These two are, respectively, the force that causes one kilogram to be accelerated at 1 metre per (1) second per (1) second, and the work done by 1 newton acting over 1 metre. Being coherent refers to this consistent use of 1. In the old c.g.s. system, with its base units the centimetre and the gram, the corresponding coherent units were the dyne and the erg, respectively the force that causes 1 gram to be accelerated at 1 centimetre per (1) second per (1) second, and the work done by 1 dyne acting over 1 centimetre. So 1 newton = 10⁵ dyne, 1 joule = 10⁷ erg, making each of the four compatible in a decimal sense within its respective other system, but not coherent therein.

The calorie is doubly a confusion. It raises the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 kelvin (degree Celsius), making it obviously not coherent within the SI, where the kilogram rather than the gram is the base unit for mass. But even within c.g.s., where the gram was the base unit, it was not truly coherent because of the intermediate water element; 1 calorie = 4.18~ joule = 4.18~ m²·kg·s^-2 = 41.8~ cm²·g·s^-2 = 41.8~ erg.

A prime example of non-coherence within a single system would be the horse power of the f.p.s. system (with base units of foot, pound, and second), one horse power being 550 foot·pounds per second, but the distinctively metric units litre (1 cubic decimetre = ¹/₁₀₀₀ m³) and are (1 square decametre = 100 m²) are not coherent in any version of metric except, in the case of the litre, a barely touched system using the decimetre, gram, and second as its base units.

A version of Unix developed by Mark Williams Co., Northbrook, IL, that was noted for its conservative use of resources on Intel-based PCs.

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adj

Definition: understandable
Antonyms: disorganized, incomprehensible, irrational, not understandable, unintelligible, unrational, unsystematic

IN BRIEF: Being connected in a proper way.

The ideas were coherently presented during the meeting.

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(in physics) describing two or more waves having the same wavelength and the same phase, e.g. coherent light. The laser is a source of coherent light.

Previous:	cognitive neuroscience, cofilin, cofactor
Next:	coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, cohesin, cohesive end

For a list of words related to coherent, see:

• Intelligent, Informed, Clever, or Articulate
• Wise, Mature, or Experienced
• Reason and Rationale - coherent: (adj) logically clear and consistent

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See words rhyming with "coherent."

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - sammenhængende, kohærent, logisk

Nederlands (Dutch)
samenhangend

Français (French)
adj. - cohérent

Deutsch (German)
adj. - kohärent, folgerichtig

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - με λογικό ειρμό, λογικός, με συνοχή

Italiano (Italian)
coerente

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - coerente

Русский (Russian)
связный, логически

Español (Spanish)
adj. - coherente

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - sammanhängande, följdriktig

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
互相密合着的, 连贯的, 凝聚性的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 互相密合著的, 連貫的, 凝聚性的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 서로 밀착되어 있는, 시종일관 된, 조리 있는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 首尾一貫した, 筋の通った, 密着した

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متماسك, واضح, مفهوم, متصل, مترابط‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮הגיוני, עקבי, מחובר‬

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