coherent
adjective
co·her·ent kō-ˈhir-ənt 
-ˈher-
1
a
: logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated : consistent
coherent style
a coherent argument
b
: having clarity or intelligibility : understandable
a coherent person
a coherent passage
2
: having the quality of holding together or cohering
especially : cohesive, coordinated
a coherent plan for action
3
a
: relating to or composed of waves having a constant difference in phase
coherent light
b
: producing coherent light
a coherent source
coherently adverb
Synonyms
- analytic
- analytical
- consequent
- good
- logical
- rational
- reasonable
- sensible
- sound
- valid
- well-founded
- well-grounded
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
… the diaries and the novels demonstrate how a novelist tweaks and grooms reality into something more structured and coherent than life as it is lived. 
Penelope Lively, Atlantic, February 2001 He is without a political agenda as he is without a coherent moral sensibility. Joyce Carol Oates, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 1990 At times, without my insisting on it, my writings become coherent; the successive elements that occur to me are clearly related. William Stafford, Writing the Australian Crawl, 1978 This time the song was old, a pattern of rhythmic monosyllables which had lost coherent meaning somewhere in time. Tony Hillerman, The Blessing Way, 1970 He proposed the most coherent plan to improve the schools. They are able to function as a coherent group. See More
Penelope Lively, Atlantic, February 2001 He is without a political agenda as he is without a coherent moral sensibility. Joyce Carol Oates, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 1990 At times, without my insisting on it, my writings become coherent; the successive elements that occur to me are clearly related. William Stafford, Writing the Australian Crawl, 1978 This time the song was old, a pattern of rhythmic monosyllables which had lost coherent meaning somewhere in time. Tony Hillerman, The Blessing Way, 1970 He proposed the most coherent plan to improve the schools. They are able to function as a coherent group. See More Recent Examples on the Web As Snowmass ended, a coherent vision was not immediately clear. Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022 Too much change, too fast without a coherent vision and planning can descend into chaos. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2022 It’s all just a lot better and more coherent than the past two years. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 5 July 2022 The West as a geopolitical entity has rarely been more united as a bloc and more coherent as a political project. Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2022 If trauma creates a kind of narrative void, Mackenzie seemed to respond by leaning into a narrative that made her life feel more coherent, fitting into boxes that people want to reward. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022 Unlike Trump, Bolsonaro has powerful allies in the military and almost certainly has a more coherent plan to illegally install himself in power. David Faris, The Week, 21 July 2022 Márton Ágh’s clever production design makes a coherent if willfully illogical alternate reality out of such analog tech. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 July 2022 There’s the opportunity for a coherent, galvanizing narrative to emerge, some of that on prime-time television. The New Yorker, 7 June 2022 See More
Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022 Too much change, too fast without a coherent vision and planning can descend into chaos. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2022 It’s all just a lot better and more coherent than the past two years. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 5 July 2022 The West as a geopolitical entity has rarely been more united as a bloc and more coherent as a political project. Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2022 If trauma creates a kind of narrative void, Mackenzie seemed to respond by leaning into a narrative that made her life feel more coherent, fitting into boxes that people want to reward. Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2022 Unlike Trump, Bolsonaro has powerful allies in the military and almost certainly has a more coherent plan to illegally install himself in power. David Faris, The Week, 21 July 2022 Márton Ágh’s clever production design makes a coherent if willfully illogical alternate reality out of such analog tech. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 9 July 2022 There’s the opportunity for a coherent, galvanizing narrative to emerge, some of that on prime-time television. The New Yorker, 7 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
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, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Kids Definition
coherent
adjective
co·her·ent kō-ˈhir-ənt
-ˈher-
1
: logical and well-organized
a coherent speech
2
: to be able to speak well
The accident left her shaken but coherent.
coherent
adjective
1
as in logical
according to the rules of logic a coherent blueprint to hooking up a home theater system with a minimum of fuss Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- logical
- rational
- reasonable
- valid
- sensible
- good
- analytic
- sound
- empirical
- analytical
- well-grounded
- empiric
- justifiable
- consequent
- well-founded
- sustainable
- defensible
- cognitive
- syllogistic
- supportable
- a priori
- maintainable
- tenable
- defendable
- a posteriori
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incoherent
- weak
- irrational
- illogical
- unreasonable
- unsound
- misleading
- invalid
- illegitimate
- inconsequent
- inconsequential
- specious
- fallacious
- sophistical
- sophistic
- casuistical
- casuistic
- unarticulated
- eristic
- absurd
- unscientific
- nonsensical
- stupid
- insane
- preposterous
- mad
- crazy
- fatuous
- nutty
- eristical
- loony
- harebrained
- thoughtless
- unconvincing
- simpleminded
- cockeyed
- witless
- daffy
- half-baked
- senseless
- looney
- uncompelling
- half-witted
- weak-minded
2
as in understandable
capable of being understood the victim of the attack was too distraught to make a coherent statement Synonyms & Similar Words
- understandable
- comprehensible
- intelligible
- accessible
- legible
- comprehendible
- scrutable
- graspable
- fathomable
- apprehensible
- articulate
- decipherable
- straightforward
- simple
- fluent
- plain
- well-spoken
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incoherent
- incomprehensible
- obscure
- inscrutable
- mysterious
- esoteric
- cryptic
- insensible
- inarticulate
3
as in consistent
not having or showing any apparent conflict a business venture that is coherent with the company's long-range goals Synonyms & Similar Words
- consistent
- compatible
- consonant
- congruent
- congruous
- harmonious
- concordant
- accordant
- nonconflicting
- conformable (to)
- self-consistent
- appropriate
- correspondent (with or to)
- suitable
- fitting
- of a piece
- proper
- felicitous
- meet
- befitting
- fit
- right
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inconsistent
- incompatible
- conflicting
- incongruous
- improper
- inappropriate
- conflictive
- unsuitable
- noncompatible
- inharmonious
- infelicitous
- inapposite
- inapt