Coherent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /kō-ˈhir-ənt/ co·her·ent

Meaning & Definition of Coherent

Coherent (adjective)

  1. logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated, consistent
  2. having clarity or intelligibility, understandable
  3. having the quality of holding together or cohering; especially, cohesive, coordinated

Coherent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. according to the rules of logic

    "a coherent blueprint to hooking up a home theater system with a minimum of fuss"

    similar: analytic, consequent, good, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible, sound, valid, well-founded, well-grounded
    related: a posteriori, a priori, syllogistic, cognitive, empirical, defendable, defensible, justifiable, maintainable, supportable, sustainable, tenable
    opposite: illegitimate, illogical, incoherent, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, unreasonable, unsound, weak
    near: casuistic, eristic, fallacious, misleading, sophistic, specious, unarticulated, unscientific, absurd, cockeyed, crazy, daffy, fatuous, half-baked, half-witted, harebrained, insane, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, simpleminded, stupid, weak-minded, witless, senseless, thoughtless, uncompelling, unconvincing

  2. capable of being understood

    "the victim of the attack was too distraught to make a coherent statement"

    similar: accessible, apprehensible, comprehendible, comprehensible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, legible, scrutable, understandable
    related: decipherable, plain, simple, straightforward, articulate, fluent, well-spoken
    opposite: incoherent, incomprehensible, inscrutable, insensible
    near: inarticulate, cryptic, esoteric, mysterious, obscure

  3. not having or showing any apparent conflict

    "a business venture that is coherent with the company's long-range goals"

    similar: accordant, compatible, concordant, conformable (to), congruent, congruous, consistent, consonant, correspondent (with or to), harmonious, nonconflicting, of a piece
    related: self-consistent, appropriate, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitting, meet, proper, right, suitable
    opposite: conflicting, conflictive, incompatible, incongruous, inconsistent, inharmonious, noncompatible
    near: improper, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, infelicitous, unsuitable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Coherent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Coherent:

analytic, consequent, good, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible, sound, valid, well-founded, well-grounded, accessible, apprehensible, comprehendible, comprehensible, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, legible, scrutable, understandable, accordant, compatible, concordant, conformable (to), congruent, congruous, consistent, consonant, correspondent (with or to), harmonious, nonconflicting, of a piece

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Coherent

Words with the opposite meaning of Coherent:

illegitimate, illogical, incoherent, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, unreasonable, unsound, weak, incomprehensible, inscrutable, insensible, conflicting, conflictive, incompatible, incongruous, inconsistent, inharmonious, noncompatible

Related Words for Coherent

a posteriori, a priori, syllogistic, cognitive, empirical, defendable, defensible, justifiable, maintainable, supportable, sustainable, tenable, decipherable, plain, simple, straightforward, articulate, fluent, well-spoken, self-consistent, appropriate, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitting, meet, proper, right, suitable

Near Antonyms of Coherent

casuistic, eristic, fallacious, misleading, sophistic, specious, unarticulated, unscientific, absurd, cockeyed, crazy, daffy, fatuous, half-baked, half-witted, harebrained, insane, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, simpleminded, stupid, weak-minded, witless, senseless, thoughtless, uncompelling, unconvincing

Word Forms of Coherent

Derived words: coherently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Coherent

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French coherent, borrowed from Latin cohaerent-, cohaerens "touching, adjacent, cohering," from present participle of cohaerēre "to cohere"

First known use: 1557

Frequently Asked Questions about Coherent

What does "Coherent" mean?

"Coherent" means logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated, consistent. As an adjective, it is defined as: logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated, consistent. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Coherent"?

Other words for "Coherent" include analytic, consequent, good, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible and sound. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Coherent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Coherent"?

There are 62 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Coherent". Common alternatives include analytic, consequent, good, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible, sound, valid and well-founded.

What is the opposite of "Coherent"?

Antonyms of "Coherent" include illegitimate, illogical, incoherent, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational and unreasonable. Near antonyms include casuistic, eristic, fallacious and misleading.

How do you use "Coherent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Coherent" in a sentence: "a coherent blueprint to hooking up a home theater system with a minimum of fuss"; "the victim of the attack was too distraught to make a coherent statement"; "a business venture that is coherent with the company's long-range goals".

Is "Coherent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Coherent" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Coherent"?

"Coherent" is pronounced /kō-ˈhir-ənt/ and divided into syllables as co·her·ent.

What is the origin of the word "Coherent"?

"Coherent" comes from borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French coherent, borrowed from Latin cohaerent-, cohaerens "touching, adjacent, cohering," from present participle of cohaerēre "to cohere". First known use: 1557.