Reading Theme:
Cohesion Definition, Usage & Examples Explained (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：team unity (cohesion)
cohesion
/kəʊˈhiːʒn/
n.
The ability of people in a group to stick together and work well as a united team.
team unity
➕
/tiːm ˈjuːnəti/
n.
Refers to the quality or state of a group being closely united and working together effectively as a single entity.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 'cohaes-' (past participle stem of 'cohaerere' meaning 'to stick together') + -ion.
💡 Mnemonic
Think 'Cohesion = Co-hesian Glue'. The 'Co-' means together, '-hesion' sounds like 'adhesion' (sticking). It's the glue that holds things as one.
📖 Example
The team's strong cohesion was the key to their success in the final project.
The team's powerful sense of unity was the crucial factor for their victory in the final project.
🔗 Collocations
social cohesion – the bond and solidarity within a society or community
group cohesion – the degree of unity and connection among members of a group
lack of cohesion – the absence of unity or connection, leading to disorganization
🔄 Synonyms
unity (n.) – The state of being united or joined as a whole.
solidarity (n.) – Unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest.
togetherness (n.) – The state of being close to another person or other people, often with warm feelings of companionship.
🚫 Antonyms
disunity (n.) – Lack of unity or agreement within a group; division.
fragmentation (n.) – The process or state of breaking or being broken into small or separate parts.
🌱 Derivatives
cohesive (adj.) – Characterized by or causing cohesion; forming a united whole.
cohesively (adv.) – In a cohesive manner.
cohesiveness (n.) – The quality of being cohesive; unity.
📖 Cultural Story
Derived from Latin 'cohaerere' ('co-' meaning 'together' + 'haerere' meaning 'to stick'). It entered English in the mid-17th century, initially in physics. It's a key term in social psychology for measuring group unity and in physics for describing intermolecular forces.
Meaning 2：molecular bonding (cohesion)
cohesion
/kəʊˈhiːʒn/
n.
The natural force that holds the molecules of the same substance (like water) tightly together.
molecular bonding
➕
/məˈlekjələr ˈbɒndɪŋ/
n.
Refers to the physical force of attraction that holds molecules of the same substance together.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
The cohesion of water molecules allows insects like water striders to walk on the surface of a pond.
The mutual attraction between water molecules enables insects such as water striders to walk on a pond's surface.
🔗 Collocations
intermolecular cohesion – the attractive force between molecules of the same substance
cohesion and adhesion – the two main forces involved in capillarity and surface phenomena
high cohesion – describes a substance whose molecules are strongly attracted to each other
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
repulsion (n.) – A force under the influence of which objects tend to move away from each other.
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