Holding together effectively because the parts or people are well connected.
Reach for it when praising a group, design, or account that works as one without becoming uniform
The curator shaped the varied objects into a cohesive exhibition.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional |
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| formal | |
| literary |
everyday
connected
Fits when links between parts are the simple point
Careful Connected elements may still fail to form a functioning whole.
warm
Fits when strong personal relationships bind a group
Careful Close-knit is inappropriate for documents, designs, or technical systems.
professional
Fits when logical consistency makes the whole intelligible
Careful Coherence is about sense and structure, not necessarily social or physical bonds.
professional
well-integrated
Fits when separate parts have been successfully combined
Careful Integration describes arrangement more than the strength of connection.
formal
Fits when common identity or purpose is the strongest feature
Careful Unified can imply sameness, while a cohesive whole may preserve variety.
literary
Fits when the parts complement one another pleasantly
Careful Harmony suggests lack of friction, which a cohesive team does not require.
cohesive team
A cohesive team can debate fiercely and still act together.
cohesive design
Repeated materials give the renovation a cohesive design.
cohesive narrative
The timeline helped produce a cohesive narrative from scattered testimony.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: BirdHopper, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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