coherencen.
/kəʊˈhɪərəns/ 1.
a. literal. The action or fact of cleaving or sticking together; cohesion.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > fact or action of being joined or joining > [noun] > close, intimate, or permanent joining > cohesion
coagmentation1578
coherency1603
coherence1604
conglutination1607
agglutination1614
cementation1660
cohesion1678
1604 R. Cawdrey Table Alphabet. Cohærence, ioyning, & vniting together.
1678 T. Hobbes Decameron Physiologicum ix. 108 For then not only the points of Contact will be many (which make the coherence stronger).
1796 De Serra in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 86 501 The coherence of two living embryos..may form monsters.
1869 C. Boutell tr. J. P. Lacombe Arms & Armour i. 6 In order to obtain for the two parts of their weapons a solid coherence.
b. concrete. Anything that coheres; a cohering object: an adjunct.
ΚΠ
1668 N. Culpeper & A. Cole tr. T. Bartholin Anat. (new ed.) iii. ii. 132 [He] accounts them to be Coherences of the Duplicated Brain.
c. Physics. The property of being coherent (in various senses: see coherent adj. 1d).
ΚΠ
1926 Sci. Abstr. A. 29 478 (heading) Experiment on capacity for coherence of light.
1951 Proc. Cambr. Philos. Soc. 47 624 The range of order is related to the range of coherence of the electronic wave functions.
1953 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 216 548 The behaviour of a superconductor is in some way controlled by an interaction of rather long range (called the ‘range of coherence’) within the electron assembly.
2. transferred and figurative of association other than material.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > fact or action of being joined or joining > [noun] > close, intimate, or permanent joining > cohesion > specifically in non-material association
coherencec1580
coherency1603
cohesionc1690
c1580 Trag. Rich. II iii. (1870) 49 Woodstock. But this most fashionable chayne that li[n]ckes as it were the tooe and knee together? Courtier. In a most kynd coherence.
1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Colleganza, Collegamento, affinitie, alliance, coherence.
1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God x. xxix. 398 The cohærence of the body and the soule to the making of a full man.
1692 tr. C. de Saint-Évremond Misc. Ess. 226 By a secret relation, and I know not what cohærence, which still remains between their Souls and others.
1795 E. Burke Let. to W. Elliot in Wks. (1842) II. 245 They have not enough of coherence among themselves, nor of estimation with the publick.
1856 J. A. Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. i. 18 There is something truly noble in the coherence of society upon principles of fidelity.
3. † b. Agreement. Obsolete.
a. Logical connection or relation; congruity, consistency.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > relationship > uniformity > [noun]
evenlinesseOE
evennessa1398
equality1398
uniformity?a1475
equalness1545
uniformness1579
coherence1588
constancy1593
identity1611
oneness1611
holdinga1616
homogeneity1625
homogeny1626
unity1638
equiformity1646
self-consistencya1652
invariableness1654
homogeneousness1658
univocacy1658
sameness1743
consistency1787
self-similarity1847
consistence1850
flushnessa1878
homogenization1938
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > [noun] > agreement between the parts of a whole > through logical relationship
coherence1588
1588 A. Fraunce Lawiers Logike i. ii. f. 4v Where there is a greater cohærence and affinitie betweene the argument and the thing argued.
1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxii. 43 Why between sermons..and faith, there should be ordinarily that coherence which causes haue with their vsual effects.
a1610 J. Healey tr. Epictetus Manuall (1636) 53 To bee now a Philosopher, now a Publican..here is no coherence in these things.
1778 R. Lowth Isaiah Notes 189 The destruction of Ephraim has no coherence with the grandeur of Syria.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > [noun]
accordmentc1330
accorda1398
consonancya1398
unitya1398
accordancea1400
commoningc1400
convenience1413
correspondence1413
answeringc1425
conformityc1430
consonance1430
congruity1447
concordancec1450
consonantc1475
agreement1495
monochordc1500
conveniencya1513
agreeance1525
agreeableness1531
concinnity1531
congruence1533
harmony?1533
concent1563
tunableness1569
agreeing1575
answerableness1577
concert1578
consent1578
sympathy1578
concord1579
symphonia1579
correspondency1589
atone1595
coherence1597
respondence1598
symphony1598
sortance1600
coherency1603
respondency1603
symbolizing1605
coaptation1614
compositiona1616
sympathizing1632
comportance1648
compliance1649
syntax1649
concinneness1655
symmetry1655
homology1656
consistency1659
consentaneousness1660
consistence1670
comportment1675
harmoniousness1679
symbolism1722
congruousness1727
accordancy1790
sameness1790
consentaneity1798
consilience1840
chime1847
consensus1854
solidarity1874
synchromesh1966
concordancing1976
1597 J. Tanner Serm. Paules Crosse (new ed.) 3 Wee may perceive a sweet coherence betwixt the one and the other.
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. i. 58 It is a wonderfull thing to see the semblable coherence of his mens spirits, and his. View more context for this quotation
1680 R. Morden Geogr. Rectified (1685) 425 I have two Lunar observations and the co-herence of the Sea chart with them to strengthen my assertion.
4.
a. ‘Consistency in reasoning, or relating, so that one part of the discourse does not destroy or contradict the rest’ (Johnson); harmonious connection of the several parts, so that the whole ‘hangs together’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > reason, faculty of reasoning > process of reasoning, ratiocination > [noun] > consistency
coherencea1623
coherency1837
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > clarity > [noun] > coherence
context1604
coherencea1623
connection1651
coherency1837
a1623 W. Pemble Short Expos. Zachary (1629) 160 The division of the Chapters here make the cohærence somewhat difficult.
1672 A. Marvell Rehearsal Transpros'd i. 184 If there be any Coherence left in your Scull, you cannot but perceive, etc.
1711 Ld. Shaftesbury Characteristicks III. Misc. i. ii. 25 He..says every where great and noble Things..with infinite Wit, but with little or no Coherence.
1850 R. I. Wilberforce Doctr. Holy Baptism (ed. 3) 178 This want of coherence and completeness in his system has opened a door to Socinianism.
1856 B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. (ed. 3) I. i. 21 There is sometimes so much coherence in them [dreams], that they are very like realities.
b. coherence theory n. in Philosophy, the theory that the definition, or the criterion, of truth is that the propositions which are its parts form a coherent system; also transferred.
ΚΠ
1906 H. H. Joachim Nature of Truth iii. 65 The coherence-theory..goes deeper than the theories we have rejected.
1927 H. J. Paton (title) The good will: a study in the coherence theory of goodness.
1940 B. Russell Inq. into Meaning & Truth x. 140 The coherence theory of truth..is that of Hegel.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > meaning of linguistic unit > [noun] > context
circumstance1549
context1577
coherence1583
coherent1607
contexture1608
connection1724
environment1874
1583 A. Nowell et al. True Rep. Disput. E. Campion sig. Y2 When the coherence of the place yeeldeth it, then we say it must signifie the substance.
1659 T. Fuller Appeal Iniured Innocence i. 5 A naked Sentence..disarmed of the Assistance of the coherence before and after it.
1737 W. Whiston in tr. Josephus Genuine Wks. 25 (note) The coherence requires that we read Esau.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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