coherentco‧her‧ent /kəʊˈhɪərənt $ koʊˈhɪr-/ ●○○ AWL adjective 
Examples
The three years of the course are planned as a coherent whole. a coherent account of the incident2if someone is coherent, they are talking in a way that is clear and easy to understand: He sounded coherent, but he was too ill to have any idea what he was saying.3if a group is coherent, its members are connected or united because they share common aims, qualities, or beliefs: They were never a coherent group.—coherently adverb: She could not think coherently.
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- He couldn't give a coherent account of what he'd been doing that night.
- His book contains a coherent argument in favour of economic change.
- History could be defined as a coherent account of an event.
- I was so confused that I could not make a coherent answer.
- Rescuers found Campbell, who was conscious and coherent.
- She was hysterical and screaming - not coherent at all.
- We would like to see a coherent federal housing program.
- A lot of albums play at telling a story, but few actually deliver a coherent sense of narrative.
- And how did they come to interrelate with one another so as to make possible a coherent, intelligible universe?
- But it is in developing a coherent conceptual framework for such discussion that the book is least successful.
- However, the actual policy process in a cabinet system depends on whether there is a coherent majority group in the legislature.
- Interest aggregation is the transformation of all these political needs and wants into a smaller number of coherent alternatives. 6.
- It can not be recalled in any coherent form.
- Sordid and diseased, perhaps, but there's already a compelling and coherent vision at work.
- The problem of establishing coherent, explicit and stable objectives for state enterprises applies with particular force to the railways.
Longman Language Activatorideas that are logical► logical
Collocations ideas, decisions etc that are logical are based on a series of facts or ideas connected in a correct and intelligent way: · Your essay ought to take the form of a logical argument.· There is no logical reason for teaching boys and girls separately.take something to its logical conclusion: · If you took the anti-war arguments to their logical conclusion, you would destroy all weapons.it is logical to do something: · If they did not leave until yesterday, then it is logical to assume that they will arrive some time tomorrow.
► sound reasons, ideas, advice etc that are sound are logical and sensible, and it is easy to agree with them or believe that they are right: · The company offers sound financial advice to individuals and businesses.· Is recycling glass a sound idea?· There is no sound reason for the closure of this factory.
► make sense an idea, decision or plan that makes sense is logical and easy to understand: · His arguments seem to make sense.it makes sense for something to happen: · It would make sense for the parents to be involved in this discussion.
► rational a way of thinking, explanation, idea etc that is rational is very logical and is based on clear practical or scientific reasons, rather than on your feelings or wishes: · We're looking for someone with a rational approach to dealing with problems.· There must be some rational explanation for this apparently bizarre phenomenon.· There appears to be no rational motive for the attack.
► reasonable something that is reasonable seems to be logical and likely to be true because of what you know of the situation: · It is a reasonable assumption that she knew him well, as she had the keys to his house.· Given that the patient smokes 50 cigarettes a day, it would be reasonable to assume there is some lung damage.
► reasoned a reasoned way of thinking about something is logical and has been thought about very carefully: · We must have an informed and reasoned debate of the moral issues involved.· It became clear that calm, reasoned arguments were not working in this volatile situation.
► well-thought-out a well-thought-out plan or way of doing something is carefully and logically planned: · Before we can apply for funding, we must have strong, well-thought-out proposals.· a well-thought-out strategy
► coherent words, thoughts or ideas that are coherent are arranged in an order that makes them easy to understand: · He couldn't give a coherent account of what he'd been doing that night.· His book contains a coherent argument in favour of economic change.
► hang together informal if a piece of writing or an explanation hangs together , it is easy to understand because its parts are connected in a way that seems natural and logical: · Her story doesn't hang together very well.
► add up informal if a set of facts add up , they are logically connected so they provide a reasonable explanation of a situation: · I can see now that George was planning this all along - it all adds up.
easy to understand► easy to understand/follow · The instructions are easy to follow.· On cards are five easy to follow recipes for you to cut out and keep.· We try to write it in language that is easy to understand.
► clear instructions, explanations etc that are clear are explained in easy language or stages and are therefore easy to understand: · Most of the 'help' messages you get on computers aren't at all clear to ordinary home users.· Thanks for your directions to the apartment - they were really clear and we had no problems finding it.· Perhaps I didn't make myself clear - there won't be a penny of extra money for this project.
► comprehensible something that is comprehensible is easy to understand because it does not contain any complicated information and is expressed in very clear language: · Visual aids can make lessons much more interesting and comprehensible.· Each entry in the guide is brief and immediately comprehensible.comprehensible to: · The music was experimental, and not comprehensible to the average concert-goer.
► intelligible something that is intelligible , such as a subject you study or a piece of writing or speech, is fairly easy to understand: · Her English was strongly accented but quite intelligible.intelligible to: · It is sometimes difficult to discuss medical issues in a way that is intelligible to ordinary people.
► accessible books, films, information etc that are accessible are written or made in a way that is easy to understand even though they may concern subjects that are complicated: · Philip Glass has produced something very rare -- an accessible modern opera.· I don't find James Joyce's writing very accessible.accessible to: · He was specifically asked to write a play that would be accessible to the local community.
► coherent a piece of writing or speech that is coherent is easy to understand because it is clear and well-planned, so that all the parts fit well together: · I was so confused that I could not give a coherent answer.· Rescuers found Campbell, who was conscious and coherent.· History could be defined as a coherent account of an event.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a coherent policy
Word family (=one in which all the parts of the policy work well together)· A long-term coherent policy for industry is needed.
► a clear/coherent strategy· It is important that the company has a clear strategy.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► less· The interests of the other classes find more or less coherent expression in movements of opposition and protest.· Real skins are much less coherent than the stereotype.· It recounts a complex story in a more or less coherent fashion.· This makes the music less coherent, even enigmatic.
► more· Last year's war in Kosovo produced a more coherent performance.· Detailing the study of specific groups provides a focus for research components and presents a more coherent view of research efforts.· The Committee is currently reviewing its policy on research grants in order to produce a better defined and more coherent research programme.· Robert Eccleshall has fewer pretensions than Ted Honderich but his book is much more coherent.· The result will be a more coherent and comprehensive system by which to maintain standards in our awards.· But this is a far more coherent assault.· However, of the dreams that are reported some are more structured, have more coherent themes and plots, than others.· At the same time, however, labour socialism was more coherent and critical than labourism.
NOUN► account· Synthesis is the process of blending a number of pieces of evidence together into one coherent account.
► approach· Researchers have argued consistently that a coherent approach is needed to finding the type of intervention which works best for which children.
► body· In this way, other micro aspects such as cross-hatching and brushwork also come to form a coherent body of pattern.
► explanation· The theory of Darwin and Fisher is the only coherent explanation we possess for such characters.· Much the most coherent explanation for the evolution of such phenomena is still Charles Darwin's.· A coherent explanation of the cases must be placed on some other basis than agency.· In order to provide coherent explanations for developments in family law general and abstract perspectives must be introduced.· Hitherto the instrumental approach to law has been criticized as inadequate to provide a coherent explanation for contradictory tendencies in legal developments.
► pattern· But no coherent pattern has emerged.· Economic like other social life does not conform to a simple and coherent pattern.· Returns from other institutions proved difficult to fit in to a coherent pattern.· Or, to put this all differently ... Pattern-notes arrange information spatially to create memorable and coherent patterns.· It would be difficult to produce a coherent pattern by reversing these sentences.· The editor has performed an excellent task in ensuring that the chapters follow a coherent pattern which makes it more readable.
► policy· Compared with shifting coalitions of Independent councillors, party groupings can make for coherent policy planning and administration.· Few authorities were felt to have a coherent policy on supporting their older children.· No coherent policy on radioactive waste disposal.· Local authorities need comprehensive and coherent policies to meet both these demands and their minimum legal obligations.· Dissemination of these objectives should provide the business with a coherent policy to which management effort can be directed properly.· The other part is having coherent policies in the first place.· Jupp Heynckes faces a tough job at a club desperately in need of coherent policies.· The intention was to produce a coherent policy on the development of civil and military technology.
► set· The Levellers articulated this awareness, and channelled it into a coherent set of democratic political demands.· Atomic theory, for example, is the coherent set of explanations of the structure and behavior of atoms.
► strategy· Political paralysis has prevented the evolution of either clear tactics or a coherent strategy.· The district developed a coherent strategy to compete with its neighboring suburbs, focused on the use of technology in the classroom.
► structure· Each such coherent structure is identifiable for only a limited time.· First, most legislatures do not provide a coherent structure within which power can be concentrated and exercised effectively.· Figure 21.11 is a model of the other type of coherent structure.· Suggested mechanisms for the origin of coherent structures include two important ideas.· The very different patterns in the different orientations in each flow must reflect orientation of the coherent structures.· It also, of course, indicates what the coherent structures are like.· It is likely that these coherent structures originate through an intermittent instability of the velocity profile.· Although the existence of coherent structures is well established, there is often controversy as to the most appropriate models.
► system· Each of these views is part of or generated a coherent system, but they are systems fed by imagination.
► theory· My main aims are to demonstrate a possible methodology for such analysis, and to present a coherent theory of deixis.· It is not deconstructive in the sense that it attempts to explain those contradictions via a coherent theory.· These two dimensions provided the basis for the first coherent theories about the connections between the peoples of the world.· A coherent theory of jurisdiction is produced.· Is he able to construct a coherent theory?
► thought· Her only coherent thought was that she should never have come back to stay in Wickrithe.· Senses rioted, coherent thought fled, and for mindless seconds they were oblivious to the world about them.· Then all coherent thought fled as fitzAlan's hand lowered further.· But cognitive theories' rationalism is male-identified, drawing on dominant conceptions of the masculine nature of logical, coherent thought.· Her mind devoid of any coherent thought, Hilary panicked.· Every coherent thought fled abruptly as a tall figure appeared round the side of the building.· It was her last coherent thought for some minutes.· The childish words went through and through his mind, blotting out all coherent thought.
► whole· This was proposed by the engineer to give better three-dimensional bonding of the various elements of the cellar into a coherent whole.· It is a succession or flow of events to make a coherent whole.· Mr Reuter struggles on without his support to weld a group of large, still separate companies into a coherent whole.· Your dream can come true if your plan has these three key elements, fitting together in one coherent whole.· We must assume, of course, that these different aspects of his gnomic philosophy are to be unified into some coherent whole.· Together they form a coherent whole, a new model of government.· The main job is to begin fitting everything together into a single, coherent whole.· Subjects do not exist in isolation, but rather come together to form a coherent whole for the children.
WORD FAMILYnouncoherence ≠ incoherenceadjectivecoherent ≠ incoherentverbcohereadverbcoherently ≠ incoherently
1if a piece of writing, set of ideas etc is coherent, it is easy to understand because it is clear and reasonable: The three years of the course are planned as a coherent whole. a coherent account of the incident2if someone is coherent, they are talking in a way that is clear and easy to understand: He sounded coherent, but he was too ill to have any idea what he was saying.3if a group is coherent, its members are connected or united because they share common aims, qualities, or beliefs: They were never a coherent group.—coherently adverb: She could not think coherently.