coherence.

1. The quality of having parts that fit together in a consistent, intelligible way.

2. The degree to which wave phases maintain a predictable relationship across space or time.

3. The quality of parts holding or remaining together as a unified whole.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• narrative coherence
• coherence of an argument

On the page

The account gained coherence when the missing afternoon was restored.

Her fluent speech lacked the coherence the written evidence supplied.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.