kohäsive

Kohäsive is the German adjective used to describe something that is held together by internal cohesion rather than by external adhesion. The term is used across disciplines such as materials science, linguistics and sociology, where it denotes a property or characteristic that reflects internal bonding, attraction or unity within a system.

In the natural sciences, kohäsive Kräfte are the forces that keep a material intact by acting within its substance. This includes molecular and atomic bonds (covalent, metallic, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces) and is related to concepts such as cohesive energy and strength. Cohesion is contrasted with Adhäsion, which describes attraction at interfaces between different substances. Practical examples include the shape of water droplets due to surface-related cohesion and the overall integrity of metals or polymers influenced by internal bonding.

In linguistics and text analysis, kohäsion describes the extent to which a text hangs together through linking devices. Kohäsive Mittel consist of pronouns, demonstratives, conjunctions, lexical repetition, synonyms and referring expressions that create coherence by guiding readers through the discourse and connecting ideas across sentences and paragraphs.

In sociology and anthropology, social kohäsion refers to the bonds that hold a group or society together, including shared values, norms, institutions and networks. High kohäsion is generally associated with social stability and collective identity, while decreasing cohesion can correlate with fragmentation or conflict.

The noun form is Kohäsion; the adjective is kohäsiv. The term derives from Latin cohaerere, via French cohésion, and is used in technical contexts to distinguish internal cohesion from surface adhesion.