coherence
7 synonyms and 3 antonyms for coherence, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The quality of being logical, consistent and clearly connected, so that the parts of something fit together and make sense as a whole.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use coherence
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
lack coherence
internal coherence
narrative coherence
coherence and cohesion
a degree of coherence
Neutral. Very common in academic writing, especially about essays, arguments and policy.
Etymology
From Latin cohaerentia, from cohaerere 'to stick together', formed from co- 'together' and haerere 'to cling, to stick'.
Full origin of coherence →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between coherence and cohesion?
Coherence is about meaning: whether the ideas as a whole make sense and follow logically. Cohesion is about the surface links between sentences, such as pronouns, conjunctions and repeated words. A text can be cohesive, with all the linking words in place, and still lack coherence if the underlying ideas do not add up.
How do you improve coherence in writing?
Give each paragraph one clear point, order those points so each follows naturally from the last, and make the relationship between ideas explicit rather than leaving the reader to guess. Cutting material that does not serve the argument usually helps more than adding linking words.
What does coherence mean in physics?
It means two waves keep a constant phase relationship with each other, so they interfere in a stable, predictable way. Lasers are the standard example of a highly coherent light source.
